Football is a multi-billion pound extremely profitable industry, the premier league a huge asset to the country, financially it's important but for other reasons too, it is in it's own interest to restart but also it's sustainability* would be good for the country longer term. Even though there's little enthusiasm among a lot of us, that can't be a reason for not doing so
* In order to really have a really thriving and profitable top flight it has to, especially at this time of financial crisis with lower league clubs on the brink, seriously help out the lower parts of the football pyramid financially. There has to be a financial package put together where the wealth of the premier league is used to support the lower divisions and non league clubs. Football in this country needs the pyramid to sustain itself long-term, with the lower clubs often proving good learning schools for on loan young stars of the future
Football can't be a special case at all but it shouldn't be singled out as having to take massive extra precautions to those being taken already as these are much better than almost any other industry. The buying of so many tests is controversial but perhaps not so much if the capacity to perform so many per day is not even bring taken up.
They should treat it as any other non vital industry, and if the risk is kept as low as it's practically possible to do so, then there isn't any reason why footballers as with other workers shouldn't have a minimal risk attached to restarting.
Personally i couldn't give a toss if it didn't return but it shouldn't be a special case above other industry, if other workers run a slight and reducing risk then so should footballers, and in reality it would be so controlled to be very slight indeed.
Footballers are extremely fit and are almost certainly in a good position to overcome any ill effects of getting the virus if infected, the proper isolation procedures would be in place and a minimal risk shouldn't be a serious obstacle to restarting imo.
The chances of fit twenty year olds with no underlying medical conditions suffering long term problems are extremely minimal indeed, it's easy to point to individual cases but these have to be put in context as massive exceptions that make national news, it's very, very small. (And those tragic cases would have a far higher chance of catching it too)
In such a controlled environment, as much as I couldn't care less on the restart, it really is far, far, far safer than almost any other working environment.
The protective bubble, huge testing, isolation and special precautions does make any comparison with recent failed tests at clubs pretty much bogus, but if they did catch it then the overwhelming likelihood is it would leave no long term effects.
This June date is very provisional and I would think a postponement to July or curtailment if later still very possible.
