When it was announced that the Premier League would be returning, a collective sigh of relief was heard around the world. The Premier League remains one of the most watched football leagues in the world with its reach stretching from the Americas to Africa. It has been 100 days since the last game was played with the break coming after the number of coronavirus cases kept climbing in England. Now, Aston Villa and Sheffield United lead the opening with their game the first to be played after the Premier League returns.
Why Now?
There have been extensive discussions as to when, how and if the Premier League should return. Its return hinged on the number of coronavirus cases falling. As the number of new infections continues to fall, restrictions are being eased. With this in mind, the Premier League agreed to the resumption of its top-flight league but with safety measures in place.
The UK government also agreed to have elite sports played behind closed doors starting from June 1, 2020. This means that fans can expect empty stadiums and quieter games, but clubs like Liverpool FC have already said they know their fans are out there and will feel their support even though the fans will not be in the stadiums.
What Has Been Happening Behind the Scenes?
The road to the return of the Premier League has been long, with several meetings held to formulate a plan on the resumption of training as well as how the games will be played in the midst of a pandemic. One significant development was clubs voting to return to contact training in May. This was after they agreed to start non-contact training a week before. All this is part of what is known as Project Restart.
However, it has not been without drama though, due to discussions of where the games will be played. Clubs, organisers and the government all fear that some fans might storm the pitches to see their favourite players play, so some discussions have centred around finding ways to make sure this does not happen. Neutral venues, those not belonging to or associated with any clubs, have been floated around as one idea. Another idea was to play the games in another country, say China, but these suggestions all fell flat as fans want to see the league wrapped up in England, whether they watch the games at the stadiums or from the comfort of their homes.
Everyone Is Happy
With all the preparations, plans and arrangements in place, everyone is happy with the resumption of the premier league. The TV companies will make some money, the sponsors of all the different clubs will have another chance to get their names out there, and fans will get a chance to see their teams play again.
If you would like to bet on any games after they resume, you can use a betting calculator from oddsfactory.co.uk. All you need to do is to enter the details of your bet and the calculator will show you your potential wins. This is a good way to know what bets to place or not to place as the UK government continues to urge everyone to bet responsibly.
The return of the Premier League will provide some much-needed entertainment while a lot of people from around the world are stuck at home. All that fans can ask for is that clubs keep the same competitive spirit they had before the Premier League was stopped.
