Gary Neville has urged everyone involved in football to be prepared for the game to be played behind closed doors for the next six months.
Football league’s around the world have been halted by the coronavirus pandemic that has swept through every country on the planet.
They suspended the Premier League early last month after Mikel Arteta was diagnosed with the virus.
However, the Spaniard has since recovered and the Premier League has been looking for a way to complete this campaign.
The Premier League is looking to resume full training at the end of next month, with matches getting underway in June. However, there is little hope that fans will be able to watch their team play in the actual stadium.
The government social distancing measure could see fans remaining at home and watching the matches on TV for a while, and Neville claims that it could be up to six months.
The former Manchester United player says that fans and even the players have to brace themselves for the change.
Neville said as quoted by the Mail: ‘It’s going to be strange.
‘It’s an awful experience when you’re used to playing in front of big crowds. The Premier League lives off the stadium experience.
‘But we are going to be playing behind closed doors for months and months and months, probably until next year. We have to get our heads around that. There is no way fans will be in the stadiums in the next 3, 4, 5, 6 months.
‘At this stage, players don’t have any choice but to get their heads around it. At this moment in time, it would be accepted because of the situation we are in.’
As long as football can start safely then watching on tv is the next best thing and I’ll be delighted
If Covid compromises public health then football needs to wait until it doesn’t
At sue P
For someone who was so outspoken about players money you sure are not afraid to hand over more rights and money to big corporations (tv networks). But not once did you mention the amount the elites pocket. For as long as it is safe just get them out there. What a mentality.
Jahson
I was speaking as a football fan in that post who is missing watching the game. I refer only to see it resume safely
I do condemn the inflated salaries and you will need to explain your stance as it seems pretty loaded against me. I can’t help the money that flows into football even though I don’t like the effects that it has. Your tone was rather uncalled for
And to the article, football without fans will lose it’s competitive edge.
Most players say they don’t notice the crowd..
Of course for promotional purposes they say they notice the crowd but really they don’t.
The crowd was really only an influence as far as decisions go but VAR has largely neutralised refs being pressured by fans. 99.9% of Arsenal football fans never go to live games at the Emirates so its only 1% who will miss out on their stadium experience and it will only be temporary.
It’s the same for both teams and both sets of fans. They could stream crowd sound, music and team chants around the stadium and place flags, murals, flares and strobe lighting to create atmosphere. It will be fun. Might be better than the infamous Emirates “Library” atmosphere 🙂
Bring it on now.
Football should be played when its very safe to do so….
testing should not be only for footballers
over 18,000 people have died and yet there are fans and media out there crying for the game to be continued….
18,000 deaths clearly meant nothing to these people
Of course your message that the deaths from the virus are important and represent real people and should in no way be underestimated or forgotten in the rush to restart the PL
At some point, life will begin again and we all need that hope. Football is just one of many aspects of realising that. Being able to see children and grandchildren, families and friends again form part of that hope