Moves to get the season underway as 3:00pm television blackout lifted

Whilst football is certainly not the most important thing on people’s minds as the world fights Coronavirus, it’s return remains a beacon of light, a hope that we can get back to a normal way of life and that Leeds can finally get back to the Premiership. The hopes of Leeds fans were given a boost yesterday as the EFL and Premier League confirmed that the current 2019-2020 season would not resume until it was safe to do so. Both competitions were due to restart on 30th April but the new announcement means both Leagues have more time to plan for the completion of the season. The EFLs statement read;


“As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the EFL, Premier League, FA and Barclays FA Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship has today collectively agreed to postpone its football competitions until it is safe to resume.

Football is committed in supporting the Government’s efforts in tackling the COVID-19 outbreak and the staging of football matches in this country. It is clearly something that simply cannot happen at this time. The thoughts of everyone associated with the EFL and its member Clubs are with anyone currently affected by the coronavirus.

The situation will be kept under constant review with matches only returning at an appropriate point and based on the latest guidance provided by the relevant Government departments and health authorities.

The EFL also notes and appreciates the decision taken today by the Premier League in respect of the short-term financial relief it is to provide EFL Clubs through the advancement of solidarity payments, parachute payments and Academy Grants. These actions will have a positive impact on individual Clubs across our three divisions at a difficult and uncertain time.”





In a move that could see behind closed doors played and televised live the Football Association has requested that Uefa lift the ban on showing games starting at 3.00pm on a Saturday live on TV in England and Scotland. The ban has been in place since the 1960s when Burnley chairman Bob Lord persuaded the other Football League clubs that if they blacked out televised football during the middle of the day, it would force fans to go out to see games instead of staying home and watching on TV. A blackout on televised football between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on Saturdays has been in place since then, until now.

Uefa have agreed to lift the blackout for the remainder of the 2019-2020 season paving the way for games to be played behind closed doors and televised once the government have advised it is safe to restart the season. In a statement Uefa said; "Uefa has lifted the 'blocked hours' protection granted to England and Scotland for the remainder of the 2019-20 season following requests from the relevant national associations as a result of measures taken in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic."