After three month break due to the coronavirus pandemic, the English Premier League has agreed to a provisional return on June 17 in an empty stadium.
In a shareholder meeting, the British domestic football league gave the green light to return, known as Project Restart.
The first game is expected to happen on June 17. Aston Villa vs Sheffield United and Manchester City vs Arsenal will be the first game to take place. These four teams have played one less game than the other 16 clubs.
The Premier League also announced that the remaining 90 games will begin on June 19. The League is hoping to be finished by July 31 to clear August for the FA Cup Final.
Liverpool is currently 25 points ahead of second-placed Manchester City. Bournemouth, Aston Villa, and Norwich City on the other hand are in the relegation places.
The date is still provisional as other issues are still being finalized. According to the Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters, they still need to meet the safety requirements.
Football clubs are expected to vote on outstanding issues at the next shareholders' meeting on June 4.
The Premier League was halted on March 13 due to COVID-19.
More TV coverages
All remaining are expected to be televised for the football fans. This is one of the conditions of the UK Government in the reopening of the competition.
Premier League also revealed that all the remaining matches will be televised across Sky Sports, BT Sport, BBC, and Amazon Prime.
Four games will be shown on the BBC, while Sky Sports will show 64 matches, with 25 made free-to-air.
“Sadly, matches will have to take place without fans in stadiums, so we are pleased to have come up with a positive solution for supporters to be able to watch all the remaining 92 matches,” Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said.
“The Premier League and our clubs are proud to have incredibly passionate and loyal supporters. It is important to ensure as many people as possible can watch the matches at home.”
The return Premier League will boost Morale
According to the UK Government, restarting the Premier League would be a boost to Britain's morale amid the coronavirus crisis.
The bettors and bookmakers are perhaps among the happiest people about the reopening of the competition. Bookmaker companies are among those affected by the shutdown of sports. When Premier league resume, online sportsbook like HUC99 will begin to offer sports betting event to its customers.
Online casinos and sportsbooks are offering casino bonuses to attract bettors around the world. Some of the bonus can double their deposit amount. And Huc99 has many bonuses to offer. Football fans and bettors can claim the bonus once they signed up for a casino account.
But not all Football fans are happy with the reopening of Premier League. Many are concerned that it will worsen the situation of the country. Some fans also are concerned about the safety of the players.
Some players in the league also voice out their concerns about the need for more training before the event. It is reported that some clubs are asking for four more weeks' preparation.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has also expressed his concerns over the plan of resuming the Premier League. Khan told in an interview that the plan may lead to further spread of the virus in the country.
“I am concerned about any action that could inadvertently lead to the virus spreading,” he said “Let me make a confession. Even though I'm a south Londoner, I support Liverpool and that's why a small part of my brain is keen for us to return.
“But actually the bigger part of my brain is saying safety is what matters,” he added.
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport, Oliver Dowden said in another video meeting with chief executives from the Premier League, EFL, and Football Association that the football league could only resume if the authorities are able to guarantee the safety of players, coaches, and staff. Part of the condition also is the free live televised of some games.
