SIX Premier League teams are against the idea of playing the remaining matches at neutral stadiums.
The English top flight are awaiting Government approval to finish the 2019/20 season behind closed doors.
Brighton are desperate to preserve their home advantage for the remaining gamesCredit: PA:Press Association
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An agreement was reached to use “eight to ten neutral stadiums” following a 3½-hour video meeting of the 20 “shareholder” clubs.
But the Telegraph claim ‘Project Restart’ is at risk of being delayed because six teams do not want to continue the campaign at neutral venues.
Brighton, Watford, West Ham, Bournemouth, Norwich and Aston Villa are the clubs in question.
These teams make up the bottom six of the Premier League – with the latter three slumped in the relegation zone.
Seagulls club chief executive Paul Barber has claimed his team are behind plans to restart the season, but feel they are at a disadvantage.
He told the club website: We fully appreciate why playing behind closed doors is very likely to be a necessary compromise to play our remaining games while continuing to fully support the government’s efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus.
“But, at this critical point in the season playing matches in neutral venues has, in our view, potential to have a material effect on the integrity of the competition.
“The disadvantages of us not playing the league’s top teams in our home stadium and in familiar surroundings, even with 27,000 Albion fans very unlikely to be present at the Amex, are very obvious.”
The grounds, all of which will be current Premier League stadiums, will be revealed within the next two weeks.
It is understood that 14 out of 20 clubs must agree on a decision before it is officially put into place – with a vote scheduled for next Monday.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
