Playing With Fire

Risky business as clubs fear outcry over return

- David Maddock and Mike Walters

The Premier League is fighting shy of announcing football’s return amid fears of a public backlash over plans to introduce widespread Covid-19 testing.

Club bosses think Boris Johnson could rush through football’s return as a tool to boost government popularity.

Ahead of the Prime Minister’s review of lockdown on May 7, there are growing signs that clubs will return to full training next month ahead of a possible restart to the 2019-20 season in June.

But any return to competitive professional sport is dependent on an ambitious undertaking to screen all key staff frequently at clubs.

That is a costly endeavour, requiring a huge operation of medics testing players up to three times a week, with kits available at all clubs that are underwritten by the League.

And senior figures within top clubs, and the league, are aware of the potential for a damaging outcry against football’s return when people are still dying from the disease.