Brighton chief executive Paul Barber fears plans to complete the Premier League season at neutral venues could have a “material effect on the integrity of the competition.”
As the tournament
wrestles with how to finish the campaign which still has 92 games to play, the
idea of using up to 10 neutral venues for the behind closed doors games is seen
as the only means to guarantee safety.
“Clearly, we must
all be prepared to accept some compromises, and we fully appreciate why playing
behind closed doors is very likely to be a necessary compromise to play our
remaining games while continuing to fully support the government’s efforts to
contain the spread of coronavirus,” Barber told the Brighton website.
“But at this
critical point in the season playing matches in neutral venues has, in our
view, potential to have a material effect on the integrity of the competition.”
Brighton were due
to be at home for five of their remaining nine matches as they fight for their
Premier League lives.
Barber worries the
loss of home advantage could prove critical – even without fans.
“The disadvantages
of us not playing the league’s top teams in our home stadium and in familiar
surroundings, even with 27,000 Albion fans very unlikely to be present at the
Amex, are very obvious,” Barber said.
“Clearly, we must
accept there may also be some benefit from playing our remaining four away
matches at neutral venues but the fixture list simply isn’t equally balanced at
this stage of the season, and we didn’t play our first 29 matches of the season
in this way.
“So, in our opinion
one thing doesn’t cancel out the other.”
Britain’s Press
Associaton claimed the Premier League will look at using between eight and 10
stadiums, with venues likely to be chosen for ease of ensuring social
distancing – which would appear to favour more out-of-town sites.
Some reports had
even named Brighton’s Amex Stadium as among the stadiums under consideration.
However, Barber
said it was speculation at this stage.
“We haven’t been
asked if we would consider our stadium being used as a neutral venue for any
remaining Premier League matches – by our colleagues at the league, the
government or the police.
“So I am unable to
say why our stadium has been included in the reports,” he said.