The current state of the game

With the swirl of stories, proposals and ‘updates’ floating around in the media, it may be hard to remember where we’re actually up to and which decisions have officially been taken by the various governing bodies on the resumption or cancellation of the 2019/20 season. 

To do our part in combatting the information overload and the dreaded ‘fake news’, we’ll collate the various official announcements and latest updates from credible sources on football throughout the UK and Europe as it affects our clubs below.

The information below is up to date as at 10th June.

International

• Euro 2020 – postponed by 12 months (UEFA)
• Women’s Euro 2021 – postponed, now due to run 6-31 July 2021 (UEFA)
• Olympics – Rescheduled ‘to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021’ (IOC)
• International fixtures – all men’s and women’s fixtures in June postponed (UEFA)

FIFA have also produced a COVID-19 Football Regulatory Issues report, which focuses on their approach to expiring player contracts, the transfer window and other regulatory matters.

European

• Champions League – Postponed ‘until further notice’ (UEFA)
• Europa League – Postponed ‘until further notice’ (UEFA)
• Women’s Champions League – Final in Vienna postponed (UEFA)

Deadlines for entry to 2020/21 UEFA competitions (such as qualifying and player registration) have also been ‘postponed until further notice’ (UEFA)

Domestic

Notwithstanding the links below, the FA Board have agreed that the end of the season ‘be extended indefinitely’, removing the need to complete seasons by 1 June as previously existed under FA rules.

• Premier League – Players have returned to training, ahead of a provisional start date of 17th June, if safe to do so (Premier League)
• EFL – League Two and League One clubs have both voted to curtail the season. Championship clubs are returning to training ahead of a provisional restart date of 20th June. (EFL)
• National League (including North/South) – Season ended with immediate effect, sporting outcomes ‘under consideration’ (National League)
• Non-league at Step 3 and below – Season ended with immediate effect, and results expunged (FA)
• Women’s Super League and Championship – Season ended with immediate effect (FA, via the BBC)
• Women’s football at Step 3 and below – Season ended with immediate effect (FA)
• FA Cup – Provisional dates of 27th/28th June for quarter finals, 11th/12th July for semi-finals, and 1st August for the Final (FA)
• FA competitions (Women’s FA Cup, FA Trophy, FA Vase and youth competitions) – ‘Reviewing all options… to complete these competitions whenever it is safe and appropriate to do so’ (FA)

Fans

We will continue to keep you updated on the myriad questions you might have, whether you’re involved in running your own community-owned club and need guidance and advice on accessing government support, or are an individual fan concerned about your consumer rights regarding pre-booked train tickets, season ticket renewals or anything else.

• We have a comprehensive run-down of the most frequently asked questions and issues raised with us, which you can see here.