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Premier League clubs that have opposed playing the season in neutral venues have been branded by some as cynical and pragmatic. They have been accused of thinking only of how to save their own skins.
A deputy police chief even told them to ‘hold on’ and use the most emotional language you could use. He conjured up an image of the use of ‘coffins for goal posts’.
The problem is that the more the topic of neutral places is examined, the more flawed it seems. Positions on the idea seem to have tightened in recent days. With so many other legitimate concerns, it would be strange to turn it into the jagged rock upon which the Premier League Restart Project was founded.
Perhaps groups of fans would try to gather outside their home stadium if their team was playing there.
But that is unlikely to happen in sufficient quantities to cause a problem for the police, particularly if the game was televised and supporters would miss it if they waited outside a deserted arena.
It would be troubling if Liverpool fans attempted to rally outside Anfield to celebrate a title victory.
But perhaps it would be an even greater concern if they traveled to neutral ground to mark that victory, with all the implications it would have for social distancing.
English football fans have never been intimidated by the idea of traveling to remote terrain before. It would also be a surprise, frankly, if fans gathered outside of local stadiums in greater numbers than the crowds that celebrated VE Day at parties across the country on Friday.
The BBC recorded those meetings extensively and made them the cornerstone of the evening’s news with obvious affection and admiration. And not a policeman in sight.
Brighton Chief Executive Paul Barber has been outspoken about his club’s opposition to neutrals and has articulated the objections they have in terms of losing the home advantage against several of the top clubs they will face in the dispute.
But, following the “grab” conference of Petty Officer Mark Roberts, the English football police chief, Barber put forward a compelling argument that moving to neutral locations would cause a greater threat. for the health and safety of the players that if the clubs played their games at home and went behind closed doors.
“Typically, what happens to the doctors is that the visiting team doctors will depend on the local team doctors to guide them in case of a major medical problem on the field,” Barber said. Where are the defibrillators? Where are the emergency medical rooms? Where is the closest point for the ambulance exit?
How far is the nearest hospital? What facilities do they have?
“In the situation that is proposed, we would be pushing two teams to a place they are not familiar with, where the local doctors would not exist because they would be in another part of the country with their team.”
‘That is totally illogical to the point of being dangerous.
‘At this time of all time, a medical emergency must be handled very carefully for obvious reasons. And yet, we are asking two teams of doctors to operate in unfamiliar settings in case that happens. How is that logical?
“ I had just left Tottenham to go to Vancouver when Fabrice Muamba had his terrible episode on the field. Think about that scenario: God forbid it happens to anyone again, and the added complexity of the protocols we would be working with, then add neutral, unknown places.
‘Normally, even if you are the visiting team, you would have the comfort that the local team doctors, not just out of professional courtesy and duty, are quick to help and advise you.
“ They would say that ‘the ambulance is going to get to that corner there, let’s make it move this way and, by the way, the general hospital is seven minutes away, when you get there the cardiologist is X, Y or Z’. All of those things happen behind the scenes without 99 percent of the people on the ground noticing.
How are they going to happen in a neutral place? Or, if they do, and I accept that there will be people close to me who will be familiar, will they go smoothly? Are they going to happen so fast? Are they going to be potentially dangerous if they don’t happen so quickly?
‘We have to be careful not to misstep here because doing so could ruin lives. It could cost lives and it could ruin lives. And we cannot afford that. We simply cannot.
Barber’s warning comes on the eve of Monday’s Premier League meeting as clubs try to move toward the tentative restart date of June 12.
Opposition to the neutral locations plan is now thought to extend beyond the last six. There will be no vote on Monday, but the problem will have to be overcome in order for the project to restart.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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