What Impact Has The Pandemic Had On English Premier League?
The impact Covid-19 has had on the world of sports has been devastating. The world’s biggest sporting competitions of 2020, The Euro 2020 which was to be spread out amongst some of Europe’s top stadiums and the Tokyo Olympics in Japan have both been temporarily cancelled due to the virus. Both competitions are set to take place next year, assuming they go ahead, only time will tell if fans from around the world will be allowed entry.
It seems the Coronavirus pandemic has upended all areas of life throughout the world and unfortunately the Premier League has been no exception.
How Was The Premier League Before Covid-19?
During the 2018-19 season, the Premier League boasted its finest season to date in revenue, making approximately £5.2 billion British pounds. England’s top flight and most popular league kept its reputation as the richest football league on the planet. Each year the league has been recording an increase in revenue of 7%. Also in the 2018/19 season, 4 Premier League clubs were the envy of Europe as English teams dominated Europe’s biggest cup competitions. Liverpool played Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the Champions League and Arsenal played against Chelsea in the Europa Cup Final. It seemed there was no stopping the limits English clubs in the top tier could reach. Teams had so much money pumped into them from TV rights, sponsorships, ticket and merchandise sales that even lower teams could fend off the big teams when they attempted to buy one of their top players. According to reports, Arsenal offered Crystal Palace £70 million British Pounds for Wilfred Zaha. The offer was declined, which showed a lower side in the league declining a bid for a huge sum of money for one of their assets. These bids would rarely be witnessed in the Spanish League or the German League.
What Happened To The Premier League When Covid-19 Spread Across Europe?
The first match to be postponed was the Arsenal against Manchester City game on the 10th March 2020. Some of the Arsenal players and coaching staff had been in close contact with the Olympiacos owner during a Europa League game a few weeks prior who had been tested positive for the virus. The game between the two clubs was supposed to go ahead the following day but after further discussions it was forced to be postponed again. Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta was then diagnosed with the virus, which led to Arsenal’s following fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion to also be postponed. Like most football leagues around the world, it was inevitable the English Premier League was going to be postponed. On the 13th March the British government announced all games in England’s Premier League, The English Football League, Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship will be postponed. The Premier League predicted it would continue from where it left off on the 4th April, however this was subject to change. This left many football fans biting their finger nails, especially Liverpool fans. Liverpool Football Club, which had dominated England’s First Division before it was changed to the Premier League, had never lifted the trophy. They were running away with the Premier League for their first time in their history and had been waiting 30 long years to get their hands on the trophy. Many feared the league would just become null and void, like the Dutch league. Many punters had wagers on the outcome of the Premier League and were worried whether or not they would get a pay out, perhaps wishing they could have put it on slots instead! Some clubs that were involved in the relegation battle might have looked at the pandemic as a ‘’get out of jail card’’ in the hope that their team won’t get relegated if the league doesn’t restart.
When Did The Premier League Restart?
The Premier League’s proposed restart date of April 4th was always going to be unlikely. However, for most fans the news that the league’s fixtures will be going ahead on June 17th was like Christmas coming early. Many had had their normal lives turned upside down, so getting England’s most popular leagues back on screens was a great boost for mental health and a feeling of excitement for football fans around the world. Unfortunately, with the ongoing pandemic, fans were not able to attend games. Although most TV channels broadcasting games add a new feature that allows you to listen to a fake crowd, many viewers find the games have lost one of its major attractions. The tense atmosphere at football grounds in England is one of the reasons why it is such an incredible league. For season ticket holders or people who had planned on visiting England for a game would have to watch it from home. In saying that, most fans felt it was better than nothing.
How Does The Premier League Deal With Covid-19?
Due to Covid-19 being highly contagious, strict new guidelines were enforced in the league to reduce the spread of the virus. Players frequently have to take Covid tests to ensure they haven’t picked up the illness. Players have to come out to the pitch at separate times and from separate areas, with no hand shaking before the games. All players before the games have to wear masks and practice social distancing. Coaching staff and players on the bench are allocated specific seats that are 2 meters apart. Ball boys are not involved in the game at the moment, instead balls are placed on cones in many areas around the outskirts of the pitch.
Gambling During Covid-19 During The Pandemic
With the Premier League postponed and land based casinos throughout the United Kingdom temporarily shut, many punters only dreamed of betting on the football. Despite the pandemic, the Belarus League continued which allowed gamblers to keep the dream alive! Most people decided to keep playing traditional games online like slots on casino online bonus but hardcore football fans opted to stream the Belarus League, a league most couldn’t even name one player who plays in it.