LONDON: Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has requested the government to rethink its stadium supporter ban, calling for football to be treated “fairly”.
“It’s good news that (concert) venues can run socially distanced events indoors, it gives them a lifeline,” Masters told The Times newspaper. “We are starting to see the return of the paying spectator at a ticketed event and we just believe that football should be allowed to do the same.
Matches at the end of last season in the English top-flight and the beginning of the new campaign have been played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus crisis.
Plans to pilot a limited return of fans from October 1 were shelved last month due to tighter lockdown measures following a surge in cases of Covid-19 in Britain.
“We do understand why caution is needed but what we are asking for is consistency from government so that sport is treated as fairly as other activities,” he added.
“We are a highly regulated environment. We have the Sports Grounds Safety Authority in place to ensure that supporters are safe at all times and we’re outdoors in a highly stewarded environment. What we really need is clarity for our clubs and supporters and a road map from government.”
