Former sports minister Richard Caborn wants swift return of televised sport

A Government working party is talking to various sporting bodies this week, and Friday’s scheduled Premier League meeting is expected to further flesh out “project restart” for the resumption of football after the coronavirus outbreak. UEFA yesterday set its national associations a May 25 deadline to tell them if, when and how they plan to restart. Soon after, France abandoned Ligue 1 and 2, with no professional football in the country until at least September.

That highlights the logistical, political and other hurdles but Caborn is optimistic they can be overcome in Britain, and has written to the Premier League amongst others about a new Covid-19 passport he thinks could help. He argues the return of top-level sport is important for national morale.

“Everything has to be evidence-based but as long as the evidence from the scientists is there, it is the duty of the politicians and administrators to find ways of ensuring their people are playing safe sport,” said Caborn, Labour MEP for Sheffield from 1979 to 1984, and Sheffield Central MP from 1983 to 2010.

“Anything to get safe, live sport back on the television would have a huge effect on the nation. It really would provide a big boost to morale and would show we are moving into a new phase, the start of the post-pandemic era. Even matches behind closed doors are very important psychologically and I think the television companies ought to be looking at putting it on free to air. I hope they would play their role.”

Testing of everyone inside the stadium for a behind-closed-doors game – it is estimated there could be around 300 people for a Premier League fixture – will be vital for a resumption. As Caborn acknowledges, it will be politically important that sportsmen are not tested on a large scale before NHS and other key workers are able to get the checks they require.

“People have been in touch with me about the technology which is around, and I have written to the sports minister, the Premier League, World Snooker and others to draw it to their attention,” he revealed. “Somebody I know put me in touch with a Manchester company called VST Enterprises who have produced a health passport called V-Covid, which could be ideal for football.

“It’s not something that would be available for mass production, but it’s a passport system – green, amber and red.

“You won’t be able to have social distancing, but if you can check at 2pm before a 3pm kick-off that all the players are free from the virus, that should be enough, and the technology is there to do that.

“We could only do it with the scientific and medical officers giving their clearance, but I think the upside would be massive.

“I think you’re looking at all sports that can be televised for the nation’s entertainment and psychology. We should be asking are they popular and are they on television? Football, rugby, cricket, snooker and Formula 1 all have different issues to resolve, but it should be possible with all of them.

“I was in the Cabinet when we had the bird flu epidemic. It was nothing like this in terms of the scale but I was in meetings every day and it made you appreciate we have some incredible scientists and medics in this country and you can put them under fairly strong questioning and they and their teams will always answer the questions.”

The Premier League’s broadcast partners are owed an estimated £762m-worth of matches this season, but Caborn believes those contracts can be met whilst still providing free coverage.

“When I was sports minister the Government banned fans from going to see England play in Turkey (for a decisive Euro 2004) and I got Sky to do a deal with ITV to let them show the game on free-to-air on a delay (of two hours), so there are precedents,” he pointed out. “I said to Sky that if we are asking fans not to travel, they ought to be able to reciprocate with that and they did.”

Another concern could be supporters congregating outside grounds, as Paris Saint Germain’s did outside the Parc des Princes during March’s behind-closed-doors Champions League tie against Borussia Dortmund.

Sheffield United are in contention to qualify for European football for the first time, Leeds United to return to the Premier League after 16 years away, and Rotherham United could win only their fourth league title this season.

“I hope clubs act responsibly, and if not, I would say to them their games will be taken off television,” said Caborn. “If there was a group of irresponsible fans gathering outside a ground, I would hold the clubs responsible and they would not be very popular in their communities if it meant their games were no longer shown as a result.”

Editor’s note: First and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

And that is why I must make an urgent request of you: as advertising revenue declines, your support becomes evermore crucial to the maintenance of the journalistic standards expected of The Yorkshire Post. If you can, safely, please buy a paper or take up a subscription. We want to continue to make you proud of Yorkshire’s National Newspaper but we are going to need your help.

Postal subscription copies can be ordered by calling 0330 4030066 or by emailing [email protected]. Vouchers, to be exchanged at retail sales outlets - our newsagents need you, too - can be subscribed to by contacting subscriptions on 0330 1235950 or by visiting www.localsubsplus.co.uk where you should select The Yorkshire Post from the list of titles available.

If you want to help right now, download our tablet app from the App / Play Stores. Every contribution you make helps to provide this county with the best regional journalism in the country.

Sincerely. Thank you. James Mitchinson, Editor