The novel coronavirus pandemic has caused key disruptions to the sporting schedule in recent months, but there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
The British government has published a 50-page plan for lifting the coronavirus-enforced lockdown in the country which could see the Premier League resume on June 1.
A guide for exiting the national lockdown was released on Monday, with social distancing methods to remain in place as a variety of activities are resumed in the whole country.
The second step of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s roadmap clears the way for the football season to resume next month, with all the rest fixtures planned to be played behind closed doors till public safety can be ensured.
The new plan has been named “Our Plan to Rebuild: The UK Government’s Covid-19 Recovery Strategy”, and the lifting of restrictions is conditional upon the adherence to protocols put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Whether fans will be allowed to attend matches before the end of the campaign is still unclear, as step three proposes a reopening of venues like hairdressers and cinemas in July.
However, the plan also includes the warning that some venues that are crowded and where it proves difficult to enact distancing might still not be able to safely reopen at this point, or might be able to safely reopen only in part.
The document adds that fans being granted access to stadiums over the summer might only be fully possible significantly later depending on the decrease in the numbers of infections.
Some Premier League teams have already voiced their concerns over the project to restart, with Watford, Brighton, and Aston Villa anxious over the prospect of home advantage taken out of the equation.
Some players have also expressed their doubts over coming back to the pitch, including Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger, Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero amid the continued rise of COVID-19 cases in England.