Step two of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “roadmap” clears the way for current football season get back underway next month, with all remaining fixtures set to be played behind closed doors until public safety can be guaranteed.
The new document has been titled ‘Our Plan to Rebuild: The UK Government’s Recovery Strategy’, and the lifting of restrictions is conditional upon the continued adherence to protocols which have been put in place to contain the spread of the virus by saying “…permitting cultural and sporting events to take place behind-closed-doors for broadcast, while avoiding the risk of large-scale social contact” could take place from the start of next month.
Whether or not supporters will be able to attend matches before the end of the campaign remains unclear, as step three proposes a reopening of venues such as cinemas and hairdressers in July, but also includes the following warning: “Some venues which are, by design, crowded and where it may prove difficult to enact distancing may still not be able to reopen safely at this point, or may be able to open safely only in part. Nevertheless, the Government will wish to open as many businesses and public places as the data and information at the time allows.
“In order to facilitate the fastest possible reopening of these types of higher-risk businesses and public places, the Government will carefully phase and pilot reopenings to test their ability to adopt the new secure guidelines.”
“The Government will establish a series of task forces to work closely with stakeholders in these sectors to develop ways in which they can make these businesses and public places secure.”
The 50-page document can be read in full HERE