Plenty has been said surrounding the current state of English football since all games became suspended during the start of the coronavirus lockdown. A lot has happened since then, too: clubs have furloughed staff, players have come together to start their own collective movement to support the NHS, and calls have even been made to possibly scrap the whole season.
However, football fans (especially Liverpool ones) have some positive news. The Premier League's director of football, Richard Garlick, along with medical advisor Mark Gillett have admitted to being in regular talks with clubs on player welfare and what could be realistically expected of players if and when the season resumes.
The latest suggestion is that the Premier League could come to expect the remaining games to be played behind closed doors. Wembley Stadium and St George's Park have been suggested as neutral venues for the games to take place, should the league come to make an official request. Reportedly, both stadiums have been suggested to be used as part of a 'Festival of Football' to accommodate the complete the rest of the 2019/20 season.
Through using these selected venues, especially St George's Park, it could offer the ability for a number of games to be played on the same day — the 228-room hotel on site would come into use too, giving players and officials a place to stay collectively to avoid travelling.
Who knows if this could be a good idea all together, and with plenty of split opinions from different clubs, players and fans, it'll be interesting to see how this one plays out with everyone's best interests at heart.
