PFA president Gordon Taylor says that if and when ‘Project Restart’ gets going, football matches may be fewer than 45 minutes a half.
“Proposals have been brought out about the prospect of more substitutes; games can’t be the complete 45 minutes either way and with suggestions about neutral locations. There’s a lot going about.” Taylor told BBC Radio 4 Today.
The base of Project Restart plans was revealed in the Daily Mirror. Since then, the Premier League appears to be dedicated to finishing the 2019-20 season with many revised rules. With many policy constraints, a May 25 UEFA deadline for restart plans has been tentatively set.
As things stand, sixteen league teams have nine fewer games, while four already have 10 games to go, with preparations still underway to have the league restarted as part of Project Restart in June.
The Premier League have to pay for a comprehensive training regime. Return to training is considered to be on mid-May. Full training will start towards the end of May.
Games will resume in early June. And obviously, there have to be on-going communication with the government on match-day requirements.
Since Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was diagnosed with coronavirus on March 14, top-flight football has been suspended in England. Leagues were postponed for this season in France and the Netherlands but there seems to be no push for the Premier League to meet suit.