Johnson announces ‘review’ of plans to reopen stadiums, putting October 1 return of fans on rocks

Boris Johnson announces a ‘review’ of plans to reopen stadiums, putting the October 1 return of fans on the rocks… as the Premier League warn they face losing £700MILLION without crowds

  • Boris Johnson announced the news in a conference on Covid-19 restrictions
  • Johnson said the programme to bring fans back will not be entirely scrapped
  • But it nevertheless comes as a huge blow to fans hopeful of an October 1 return
  • The Premier League warn games behind closed doors cannot go on for ever  

Football was plunged into turmoil on Wednesday by the Prime Minister’s new restrictions.

Boris Johnson dropped his bombshell that there was to be a review of plans to reopen stadiums less than an hour after Premier League chief executive Richard Masters had declared it was ‘absolutely critical’ fans were allowed back into grounds as soon as possible.

Masters had disclosed that the absence of supporters could cost top-flight clubs around £700million over the season.

Boris Johnson has announced a ‘review’ of plans to reopen stadiums for sport fans in October

Until Wednesday morning, Premier League clubs including Manchester United and Tottenham had been working on proposals to host test events at their first home matches of the season. That is unlikely to happen now.

United were hoping to allow 12,000 fans into Old Trafford for their fixture against Crystal Palace a week on Saturday.

The consensus is that top-flight clubs are wealthy enough to weather the storm. But Masters argued that behind-closed-doors matches ‘cannot go on for ever’.

The biggest concerns, however, are in the EFL. In League One and League Two, gate receipts make up a far more significant percentage of revenue than in the Premier League. For many, ticket sales and cash on the turnstiles account for around a third of their turnover.

The news will come as a bitter blow to supporters who had hoped to go to games in October

The news will come as a bitter blow to supporters who had hoped to go to games in October

The continued absence of such vital funds is likely to push clubs — some of whom are already on the precipice — over the edge.

On Tuesday night, 862 people watched Cambridge United beat Fulham Under 21s in the EFL Trophy and it had been planned for the Abbey Stadium to host 2,500 for the League Two opener against Carlisle on Saturday in a second pilot. That number has now been reduced to 1,000.

‘Quite a few clubs simply cannot get through the season without gate receipts,’ the chief executive of a League One outfit told Sportsmail.

But Premier League chief executive Richard Masters warns they will lose £700m with no fans

But Premier League chief executive Richard Masters warns they will lose £700m with no fans

Masters admitted the league and its clubs can ill-afford to play behind closed doors forever

Masters admitted the league and its clubs can ill-afford to play behind closed doors forever

‘The longer it continues, the more casualties there will be. At our level and below, football without gate receipts is not viable.’

When the contents of the Prime Minister’s pending statement began to emerge yesterday, a series of panicked calls were made between EFL clubs.

The development will increase pressure on the Premier League to provide a bailout to their EFL counterparts. Talks are ongoing, Masters confirmed yesterday. The EFL are understood to be seeking £250m over four years.

Pilot events such as Brighton's friendly against Chelsea will be limited to 1,000 people

Pilot events such as Brighton’s friendly against Chelsea will be limited to 1,000 people 

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