Premier League restart: Dates, kick-off times, TV schedule and proposal on neutral venues

Posted by

The Premier League confirmed it’s intention to restart the current campaign on June 17, giving football fans a significant boost as the coronavirus lockdown measures begin to be eased.

After the UK went into lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic at the end of March, football ground to a halt as a result as uncertainty has reigned over how the campaign would be completed, if at all.

As the crisis eases and the government begin to loosen restrictions on the public, the Premier League have announced that games will be played to complete the season, although all fixtures will be played behind closed doors.

Nevertheless, with football back on TV, it promises to give all concerned a major lift, provided health guidelines are adhered to and the safety of the players and staff are prioritised to avoid any further setbacks.

So, here’s all you need to know about the Premier League restart…

When?

Provisionally, the first Premier League game of the restart will take place on Wednesday June 17. Man City vs Arsenal and Aston Villa vs Sheffield United are to be the first games played, which in turn will ensure all 20 clubs have then played 29 games each.

Following on from that, a full round of fixtures will be played starting on Friday June 19.

What time will games kick off?

Games on Fridays will kick off at 8pm.

Saturday matches will start either at 12.30pm, 3pm, 5.30pm and 8pm.

Sunday matches will kick off at either 12pm, 2pm, 4.30pm and 7pm.

Midweek games on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays will kick off at either 6pm or 8pm.

Will all games be shown on TV?

All remaining 92 games will be broadcast live in the UK. Sky Sports, BT Sport, BBC Sport and Amazon Prime will all show games, with Sky Sports boasting a 64-game share, 24 of which will be available on free-to-air channels.

Neutral venues?

As noted by Sky Sports, there is a Police proposal for games which they would like to be played at neutral venues, which could include all games where Liverpool can win the Premier League title.

The full list of games:

  • Manchester City v Liverpool
  • Manchester City v Newcastle
  • Manchester United v Sheffield United
  • Newcastle v Liverpool
  • Everton v Liverpool

It’s noted that the main concern in such games is that fans could congregate outside the stadium as the Merseyside giants look to win their first title in 30 years. Understandably they’ll want to celebrate, but ultimately it runs its own risks given the pandemic.

Fixture list/FA Cup

The fixture list in terms of exactly who plays and when and the date for the end of the season have yet to be confirmed, although the FA Cup will see quarter-finals played on June 27/28, with semi-finals on July 11/12 and the final on August 1.

“I saw some comments in regards to my son, people saying: ‘I hope your son gets corona’.” – Troy Deeney is getting abuse for refusing to play. He has since decided to resume training, following medical advice. READ MORE…