PREMIER LEAGUE and FA bosses are planning for games behind closed doors if the coronavirus spreads.
While Uefa chiefs spent just “two minutes” discussing the potential impact of the growing crisis at a meeting here, English football is taking the threat more seriously.
Contingency options are now being drafted, with the prospect of games in the remainder of the season being played with no fans inside the grounds.
Liverpool supporters had feared that the Reds would not be crowned champions if coronavirus wiped out the end of the season.
PM Boris Johnson admitted after yesterday’s meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee that the virus is likely to spread widely.
That increases the likelihood of sport being told to postpone fixtures altogether or agreeing to them being played in front of TV cameras and banks of empty seats.
SunSport understands the FA will accept all government advice and not put up any arguments to contradict the views of health experts.
If health chiefs were to order the postponements for a short period, games could still be rescheduled to complete the season on time.
But if the embargo were to be any longer, playing behind closed doors would become a serious option.
One issue, however, would be the possibility of fans congregating outside grounds with matches taking place inside — with Liverpool’s imminent coronation as champions an obvious potential fan magnet event.
FA chiefs, aware of the financial impact on smaller clubs who are more reliant on gate income, will look at the possibility of solidarity payments to help them cope with the cash shortfall.
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin led the brief debate on the issue during yesterday’s meeting of the ruling executive council, which one insider said lasted just “two minutes” during the two-hour meeting.
Ceferin said: “Everybody stay calm. We must be guided by the authorities and our respective governments.”
Uefa has big decisions to make with the last-16 stages of both the Champions League and Europa League being held next week and the Euro 2020 play-offs involving Scotland, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland scheduled for the final week of the month.
The FA currently has no plans to call off the Euro 2020 warm-ups with Italy and Denmark at Wembley later this month, while the fate of Euro 2020 is not currently even a discussion at this stage.
GLOBAL SPORT – STATE OF PLAY
Meanwhile, SIX NATIONS chiefs are confident England’s clash with Wales at Twickenham on Saturday will go ahead, despite Ireland v Italy the same day being postponed.
After yesterday’s summit in Paris, a statement read: “Six Nations and its six unions will strictly follow any directive given that would impact sporting events.
“As it stands, based on the latest information, all Six Nations matches currently scheduled are set to go ahead.”
England’s CRICKET stars have been banned from shaking hands because of worries over the deadly virus, which has claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people.
Captain Joe Root and his players flew out of Heathrow last night for their one-month, two-Test tour of Sri Lanka. Root revealed: “We’re not shaking hands, we’re fist-bumping.
“There’s no suggestion the tour will be affected but it’s an evolving situation, so we are in regular contact with the authorities.”
FORMULA ONE is facing a “moving target” when it comes to dealing with spread of the coronavirus.
The Chinese Grand Prix has already been postponed, while the Australian, Bahrain and Vietnam GPs are in doubt. Race bosses insist all three are going ahead as planned — but Williams’ deputy team principal Claire Williams said: “We are a global sport travelling around the world with thousands of people.
“We have to behave responsibly and at the moment it is a moving target. We are taking advice but it is changing by the hour.
Coronavirus will ‘likely’ become widespread across UK ‘fairly soon’, top health official warns
A top British CYCLING chief says it is possible the Tokyo Olympics will go ahead behind closed doors.
National performance director Stephen Park explained: “You’d struggle to find a day when the Olympics didn’t take part for any reason.
“We are not worried We will get on and prepare as if they are going to happen. That’s all we can do.”
PDC DARTS chiefs have released guidelines to players and said oche handshakes are not necessary.
There are no plans to cancel Thursday’s Premier League event in Exeter or the UK Open in Minehead this weekend.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
