Neutral venues could be used to host key football matches, says police chief

Football authorities have been asked to consider staging key matches at neutral venues to reduce the strain on the emergency services, if the sport is given the green light to resume.

Standard Sport understands that the Football League are exploring the radical possibility of finishing the season at a select few “regional hubs” around the country.

Meanwhile, deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts - who leads England’s football policing effort - said fulfilling all remaining fixtures in the Premier League, EFL and FA Cup would “present challenges” and suggested that games such as those likely to decide titles, promotions and relegations should be held away from the relevant teams’ home grounds.

There are fears that even if matches are held behind-closed-doors, fans could congregate outside stadiums, creating issues with regards to social distancing and requiring a more substantial police presence.

If the approach is adopted, it could mean Liverpool or Leeds being asked to play for the Premier League title or promotion to the top-flight away from Anfield or Elland Road, if the pivotal match was due to be at home.

"We've done the work assessing the remaining fixtures - I think it's 92 to finish the Premier League season and 341 in the Football League, seven to complete the FA Cup," Roberts told PA.

"Playing all those fixtures would present challenges, that's an awful lot of people moving around the country, and certainly if they were all played at the originally planned stadiums then I think that does present some challenges.

"I think we all need to look at options about what games absolutely need to be played.

"Let's look at how they can be managed, potentially at their own stadiums but equally if we can see benefits of playing at a neutral, controlled venue, both from the health aspects of it but also minimising any disruption to the police, the ambulance service and all those other functions that are going to be stretched as we go back to normality and people start going about their normal business again.

"There's common sense and I think any group of football fans can probably highlight now the fixtures that are probably likely to generate attention.

"One of the things that the Premier League and the Football League are acutely aware of is that clubs would have to get the message out that if matches are taking place they need the continued buy-in of supporters and the public.

"There might be a fair deal that if people start gathering and causing public health or public order issues then that might mean that games can't actually go on."

On Wednesday, Standard Sport revealed that the EFL is already exploring the possibility of finishing the season at a select few ‘regional hubs’ around the country.

The Premier League is understood to have told its clubs that only approved venues can be used - operating to a higher certification than in normal circumstances.

Further detail on this is due to be presented to the clubs at their next regular shareholders' meeting on Friday but it increases the possibility of some matches being played at neutral venues, which will lead to questions from clubs about integrity.

"It's not a case of us imposing anything on [the football authorities] or telling them [what to do]," Roberts added.

"I think it's a case of, in the first instance, football satisfying the Government that they can hold the matches and that it's safe for everyone to do it in terms of players, officials, coaching staff, broadcasters.

"So you get that first stage of 'how do you make it safe to play football at the location?' and it may be that actually that mandates them being played at specific neutral venues where it can be controlled. So I think the health aspect of it might dictate the security aspect of it."

Culture secretary Oliver Dowden says the Premier League is giving consideration to how it can best make matches available to view without supporters being able to attend.

Concerns have been raised by Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee chair Julian Knight that if matches are only available via subscription it may encourage people to go to a friend's house to watch.

Roberts said: "One of the biggest considerations has got to be where we are with the lockdown, because of course it does evolve.

"But a concern might be that if things are screened and it's behind closed doors is it going to encourage people to come together either in small or larger venues?

"That's primarily a health concern but you wouldn't want to see the police being called to manage people going somewhere to watch a match."

Additional reporting by PA.