Steve Parish: Crystal Palace chairman says Project Restart may fail
Last updated on .From the section Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish says that unless Premier League clubs can find a way to stage matches soon, it may be a “very, very extended period” before the top flight returns.
Speaking on BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show, Parish said that initial plans for league matches to be staged again from June may prove unfeasible.
“We would be derelict in our duty if we didn’t find a way to try and bring the game back,” he said.
“It may prove beyond us.”
At least three clubs – Watford, Brighton and Aston Villa – are opposed to the plan to stage matches at neutral venues under ‘Project Restart’, while club doctors have raised concerns over aspects of the proposals.
Parish will be part of a meeting of Premier League club officials on Monday where discussions will continue over how they could get their teams back on the pitch.
In Germany, where the top two divisions are set to restart on 16 May, second-tier side Dinamo Dresden have placed their entire squad and coaching staff into isolation for two weeks after two players tested positive for coronavirus.
A previous wave of 1,724 tests carried out last week by the Bundesliga returned 10 positive results.
“The German example could provide a blueprint for us and clearly we can see some of the early challenges,” added Parish.
“They may prove insurmountable, but the concern for us is that if they prove insurmountable now then we may be in for a very, very extended period of not being able to play and that has huge ramifications for the game.”
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has previously predicted a loss of "at least £1bn" if the Premier League fails to complete the 2019-20 campaign.
Parish believes that deciding the final league positions on the pitch, rather than relying on points per game or taking the current table as the final outcome, is preferable, even if conditions are far from ideal.
“Deciding it competitively would be best, obviously if we can play in our own stadiums that would be preferable for everybody, but for the moment that situation is with government and the authorities and not with us," he said.
“The police have made it clear that they don’t think they can police every ground.
“I have enormous sympathy with [Watford chief executive ] Scott Duxbury’s position. Having said that, I think it may well prove to be the least worst option.
“There are no easy answers, we have to work through it as a collective and I think we will come out with a consensus in the end.”
Parish also underlined that he and his colleagues are keeping football in perspective during an outbreak in which, as of 11:30 BST on 10 May, at least 31,587 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in the United Kingdom.
“Football is entirely unimportant in the context of the public health crisis, that has to come first,” he said.
“We will want assurances as clubs that we are not taking resources away from anyone. We simply can’t take tests away from anyone who is more needful than us.
"We have been told so far that these are private facilities that are not being utilised for this particular public health crisis. We will all want more clarity on that, it is essential that that is the case.”
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At least he wants to try and explore avenues to finishing the season rather than certain other clubs who are using the excuse of neutral stadiums to ensure they keep bringing in the PL money rather than actually fighting for their place in the league and proving they deserve to be in it on sporting merit!
Well of course they do. In a game know to be full of cheats we shouldn't be surprised that clubs are more interested in what they can get out of this situation rather than a fair result.
All about money and keeping yourselves on the PL gravy train by whatever means possible rather than actually playing the games and proving you deserves your place on sporting merit!
Waa, waa, waa we might go down if we can't have our usual changing room!
It's a global pandemic, every is going to have to think outside the box and become more flexible. Not just this season but next season too! Otherwise there will be not football at all
Yet somehow we expect 100s of football games to take place at a rate no union would agree to. All the while their testing jumps above the nhs workers (10 day wait) and medics and police are pulled away from their real jobs.
Sense of perspective?
Unfortunately it's all about money.
There should be no deadline. Allow this season to finish once it's actually safe and then we can figure out what to do with next season once we know how many months of it we will have (possibly scrap cups/cut season in half/remove international breaks etc. depending upon how much time we have).
I found it curious that the bottom team in Germany's league 2 have announced infected just as they get ready to restart.
Or maybe I am a cynic