Sports are back — Anjum Ali Saiyad on everything you need to know
Anjum Ali Saiyad is a twenty-something student living in London, who blogs regularly about things to do during life in lockdown. Like the rest of us, he’s thrilled that sports are back. Here’s his guide to everything you need to know.
It’s the announcement that sports fans on lockdown up and down the county have been waiting for. Sports are back. The UK Government has now given the go ahead for live sports to resume — albeit under strict safety guidelines.
Which sports are back?
Bringing back live sports is a bit complicated. Just think of all the different factors that need to be considered. The safety of the players, the fans, the logistics, and more.
And there are also the demands of regular testing and social distancing combined with the pressure of getting back up to speed after three months off. Add in the vast amounts of money involved in terms of TV and player contracts. There’s also a lot of pressure on everyone to get this right.
The UK Government has said it remains up to individual sports to decide when and how it is safe to return. However, all live sport will be behind closed doors, with regular screening for symptoms and strict social distancing wherever possible.
Let’s take a look at everything you need to know… by sport.
Football is back
Being a huge football fan I’m so excited that the Premier League has confirmed that it’s coming back. Meanwhile, the Championship should be back on June 20, but sadly it looks like the lower leagues will abandon the rest of the season, which is a real shame for supporters.
It’s been a tricky time for football fans — especially those whose teams are in relegation battles or fighting for the title. We’re looking at the first Premiership matches beginning on June 17 and then on the weekend of June 19 and 20. If all goes well, we’re also looking at an FA Cup Final in early August.
It will be easier for fans to watch the end of the season — despite the games happening behind closed doors. Why? Because all of the games will be televised, and there is an agreement in place that many of them will be free-to-air, which is great news for football fans.
Personally, I can’t wait for it all to start again.
We’re not too sure what this means for cricket right now
Things aren’t so clear with the cricket unfortunately. Now it’s looking like the Tests against the West Indies will take place in July — probably in Southampton and Manchester.
The new Hundred tournament has been pushed back to next year — although I think a lot of fans aren’t too sad about that! The county competition looks like it might start in August, but it’s too early to tell at the moment.
Watch this space.
Horse Racing is one of the first sports coming back
Horse racing was one of the sports that held out for a while as lockdown came into force, and it’s one of the first to return.
And Jockeys are returning to a very different world. So much of the excitement of racing is about the crowds, the colours, the owners and jockeys together at the racecourse. So racing is back — with meetings at Newcastle and Newmarket so far — but without crowds and owners, and with Jockeys wearing face masks it’s too soon to tell whether this will have a significant impact on viewing numbers.
Royal Ascot will be the next big event. Of course, it will be closed to the public (and the Queen!), but there will be races live on Sky Sports Racing and free-to-air on ITV.
What’s happening in the world of tennis?
A summer without Wimbledon is hard to imagine. This year’s championships have been cancelled, with the next event set to take place between 28 June to 11 July 2021.
Fortunately, it looks like there is still going to be some tennis to watch this year. There’s an all-British tournament starting on June 23 which you can watch live on Amazon Prime. The Battle of the Brits will take place behind closed doors, and aims to raise money for the NHS, so check it out.
Other than that, the major tours are all on hold. There’s a chance that the French Open might happen in some form or another later in the year, but that’s to be confirmed.
We can play golf again, can’t we?
Golf is one of the sports that official guidelines say the general public are now able to play again. But what about the professionals?
The PGA Tour kicks off again on 11 June and the European Tour will begin again on July 30 up in Newcastle with the British Masters. I’m a massive fan of the Ryder Cup, but nothing has been confirmed with that yet. However, we should be on track for the US Open to happen in September.
Motorsports fans are gearing up for the F1
Motorsports fans can look forward to the Formula 1 season finally getting underway with the Austrian Grand Prix on July 5.
The plan is to run eight races in Europe. There will be races over three weekends in July, then a fortnight’s break followed by more races — including one at Silverstone hopefully.
Baseball is a complex negotiation
The return of baseball is currently mired in complex negotiations.
It’s one of those situations where no one looks good. Major League Baseball and the players’ union are arguing about everything from the number of games to player pay. The will is there to get some baseball played this summer, but who knows if it will happen.
Of course, doing without live sports for a few months is an insignificant issue compared to what many people have had to go through during the coronavirus pandemic. We’ve all found ways to break the boredom and get our sports fix in other ways.
But it’s great to see sports are back. And hopefully the authorities can find ways to ensure everyone’s safety.
Check out Anjum’s his recent guide to the top sport podcasts to get you through lockdown.
Originally published at https://londonlovesbusiness.com on June 5, 2020.
