London Mayor Sadiq Khan
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has voiced his concerns about the Premier League returning next month. It was confirmed on Thursday evening that top-flight football in England will resume on Wednesday, June 17, as Project Restart took another step closer to becoming a reality. The action restarts with Manchester City vs Arsenal and Sheffield United vs Aston Villa before the first full match week will then follow. Ten games will be split across the weekend with games on Friday and Monday night, along with four each on Saturday and Sunday.
And although all games will be played behind closed doors, Khan is concerned that supporters could still congregate outside grounds, and believes police and councils must continue to enforce the current social distancing measures in place.
Sadiq Khan said: “I am concerned about any action that could inadvertently lead to the virus spreading. Let me make a confession. Even though I’m a south Londoner, I support Liverpool and that’s why a small part of my brain is keen for us to return. But actually the bigger part of my brain is saying safety is what matters. We don’t want to inadvertently, for the best of intentions – all of us need cheering up, there’s nothing more joyous for sports fans than watching sport on TV, even without the crowds – but we need to make sure we don’t inadvertently give an opportunity to the virus to spread.”
