English club chiefs are reportedly set to come up with a plan that will see all 92 Premier League matches be played behind closed doors, according to the Scottish Sun.
With England having more games to play than many others in Europe, Premier League clubs are set to meet tomorrow to discuss a way forward.
The Sun has reported that this involves playing behind closed door matches in neutral venues. It could lead to more than one game being played in the same stadium on the same day. All games would also be live on TV, with teams potentially playing every three days.
It’s expected that the games will be played in the Midlands, with two or three stadiums hosting the games.
The English leagues, like in Scotland, have currently shut down. However, with UEFA giving clubs until June 30th to complete their league season (Daily Record), England are one country who may have to get a move on when it comes to providing a radical plan.
Celtic unfortunately won’t have a similar fate
Even if it would be a bit of a mad dash, it’s still a potential solution that the English clubs have reportedly come up with. That’s more than can be said of the SFA/SPFL, who are still trying to come up with a plan to end the campaign fairly.
Unfortunately, from a Celtic perspective, we won’t be able to follow in the English clubs’ footsteps by playing games behind closed doors. The SFA released a statement on their website yesterday confirming that wouldn’t happen due to fears regarding player safety.
PFA Scotland Chief Executive Fraser Wishart also expressed those same concerns back on Friday. Therefore, it seems almost impossible for Scottish football to take the same route as the English game, if they go ahead with their reported plan.
The PFA in England didn’t mention behind closed doors matches being a problem in their statement when the Premier League shut down last week. Therefore, there doesn’t appear to be the same concerns down in England.
Financial feasibility would also come into it too. Clubs in Scotland can’t compete with the cash-rich Premier League outfits, and that’s possibly another reason as to why we couldn’t play behind closed doors.
In any case, it remains to be seen if Premier League chiefs go through with their radical plan tomorrow. If they do, Scottish football can’t copy them this time.
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