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Tuesday, 19 March 2024

Premier League to consult players as UK government steps up planning

Duration: 06:43s 0 shares 3 views

Premier League to consult players as UK government steps up planning
Premier League to consult players as UK government steps up planning

England's Premier League will consult with club managers and players over 'Project Restart'

SHOWS: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - MAY 12, 2019) (CITY TV - ACCESS ALL) 1.

FIREWORKS ABOVE THE ETIHAD STADIUM AS MANCHESTER CITY CELEBRATE WINNING PREMIER LEAGUE 2.

THE THEN CAPTAIN VINCENT KOMPANY LIFTING TROPHY TO CHEERS 3.

FIREWORKS ABOVE STADIUM LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - APRIL 8, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 4.

MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER PEP GUARDIOLA AT TRAINING SESSION 5.

SERGIO AGUERO TRAINING 6.

RAHEEM STERLING JOGGING 7.

STERLING AT TRAINING SESSION 8.

KYLE WALKER STRETCHING 9.

GABRIEL JESUS STRETCHING 10.

KEVIN DE BRUYNE AT TRAINING SESSION LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - DECEMBER 9, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 11.

LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP, WALKING OUT FOR TRAINING 12.

SADIO MANE 13.

MANE WARMING UP WITH MOHAMED SALAH 14.

KLOPP (RED CAP) WITH STAFF 15.

PLAYERS WARMING UP 16.

SALAH (BACK TO CAMERA) PASSING BALL 17.

ROBERTO FIRMINO 18.

KLOPP STOKE D'ABERNON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - FEBRUARY 24, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 19.

CHELSEA MANAGER FRANK LAMPARD WALKING ONTO TRAINING PITCH AS HE PUTS ON HIS GLOVES 20.

DEFENDER CESAR AZPILICUETA AND MIDFIELDER MASON MOUNT WALKING TO TRAINING PITCH 21.

MIDFIELDER ROSS BARKLEY (FACE COVERED), LEADING GROUP OF PLAYERS ONTO TRAINING PITCH INCLUDING STRIKER TAMMY ABRAHAM, DEFENDER REECE JAMES, DEFENDER FIKAYO TOMORI 22.

MIDFIELDER MATEO KOVACIC AND FORWARD PEDRO WALKING BEHIND 23.

FORWARD PEDRO WALKING TOWARDS TRAINING PITCH 24.

FORWARDS OLIVIER GIROUD AND WILLIAN WALKING TOWARDS TRAINING PITCH LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MARCH 18, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 25.

SIGN, READING: "STAMFORD BRIDGE SW16 HOME OF CHELSEA FC" 26.

VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF STADIUM MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - FEBRUARY 11, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 27.

MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER WALKING ON TO TRAINING PITCH 28.

MARCUS RASHFORD TRAINING 29.

PAUL POGBA WALKING TO TRAINING SESSION 30.

ANTHONY MARTIAL TRAINING 31.

TRAINING SESSION IN PROGRESS 32.

SOLSKJAER WATCHING ON MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - MARCH 28, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 33.

MANCHESTER UNITED SIGN ON OLD TRAFFORD STADIUM 34.

EXTERIOR OF OLD TRAFFORD STADIUM LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - NOVEMBER 20, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE) 35.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM 36.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR CLUB CREST 37.

IMAGES OF PLAYERS INCLUDING CLUB CAPTAIN HARRY KANE 38.

VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF STADIUM LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - NOVEMBER 25, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 39.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER, JOSE MOURINHO WALKING BEHIND PLAYERS BEFORE TRAINING 40.

CAPTAIN HARRY KANE LEADING OUT PLAYERS LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - FEBRUARY 18, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 41.

VARIOUS OF SQUAD PERFORMING EXERCISES OVER HURDLES (4 SHOTS) 42.

SQUAD JOGGING STORY: England's Premier League, on hold since March 9 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, will consult with club managers and players over 'Project Restart' while the UK government stepped up planning for sports as a whole on Friday (May 1).

The league held a conference call of all 20 clubs top-flight and swapped ideas on the possible plans for resuming training and eventually a return to playing matches.

"No decisions were taken at today's Shareholders' meeting and clubs exchanged views on the information provided regarding Project Restart," the Premier League said in a statement.

"It was agreed that the PFA (Professional Footballers' Association), LMA (League Managers Association), players and managers are key to this process and will be further consulted.

"The clubs reconfirmed their commitment to finishing the 2019/20 season, maintaining integrity of the competition and welcomed the Government's support," it added.

"The League and clubs are considering the first tentative moves forward and will only return to training and playing with Government guidance, under expert medical advice and after consultation with players and managers," he said.

The first step for any move forward will be the UK government's review of lockdown restrictions due on May 7.

The cabinet minister responsible for sport, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, on Friday held the first formal meeting of a cross-sports body set up to examine the practicalities of resuming professional sport.

"I know (Britons) desperately want sport back on," Dowden wrote on twitter.

"We just kicked off the first of many detailed meetings to plan for a safe return of elite sport behind closed doors when, and only when, it is safe to do so on the basis of expert medical advice.

Lots to consider, but today we step up planning." English cricket's governing body, the ECB, has been charged with leading the planning effort for all sports and is looking at ways to play sport behind closed-doors in 'bio-secure' venues.

A spokesperson for the Departure of Culture Media and Sports said: "We held an initial, constructive meeting with medical representatives from a number of professional and elite sports bodies, government and PHE (Public Health England) to step up planning on what may need to be done so that athletes could return to training, when it is deemed safe to do so.

"This would be ahead of any return to competitive top-level sport which would only happen when medical experts advise that this can be done safely.

Discussions with the sports bodies will continue on this." (Production: Andy Ragg)

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