Premier League issues statement after UK government back football’s return

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The Premier League is closer to resuming after getting the green light from the UK government, regarding the return of football and other sports in the country.  

The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Oliver Dowden stated on Saturday that all elite sports in the country can return provided that they adhere to strict health guidelines outlined by the government, as per the Manchester Evening News.

The guidelines suggest that all participants involved in the games, including staff and players and all individuals travelling to the games will have to be tested for coronavirus while also fulfilling other requirements, while the games themselves will be held behind closed doors.

The Premier League also issued a statement suggesting their delight at the UK government’s response and that there is more work to be done by them to ensure that the games and all proceedings progress smoothly.

The statement by the Premier League read: 

“The Premier League welcomes the Government’s announcement today,” Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said.

“All major sports, including the Premier League, have been working together with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to produce this Stage Three protocol.”

“We could not have reached this point without the full support of the Government, especially DCMS, Public Health England and the Chief Medical Officer’s team.”

“We have provisionally planned to restart the Premier League on 17 June, but there is still much work to be done to ensure the safety of everyone involved.”

“This includes consulting with our clubs, players and managers – along with all our other stakeholders – as the health and welfare of our participants and supporters is our priority.”

“If all goes well, we will be thrilled to resume the 2019/20 season in just over two weeks’ time.”

As it currently stands, the Premier League could return by their intended target date of June 17 and Manchester City vs Arsenal is one of the first few fixtures to be played.