Ray Parlour has told talkSPORT he struggles to understand how there can be discussions about football returning in the not too distant future amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The former Arsenal midfielder said the continued question marks over whether or not it’s safe to return to action underlines why this simply cannot happen in the current climate.
He told talkSPORT Breakfast: “It’s all about the safety of everybody. If we’re debating all the time is it safe or not then obviously it isn’t safe, so we shouldn’t even be talking about going back.
“The government are going to issue guidelines next week about coming out of a lockdown and then they can explain what can be open up and what can’t be.
“I’m sure pubs won’t be allowed to be open up until October or November, maybe going into Christmas time.
“There will be certain things where you can allow people back in, but there’s other things where it’s probably going to be next year before they’ll be open.
“Maybe football is one of them scenarios where it might be next year.”
Give COVID-19 the red card
The quicker we work together to stop coronavirus spreading, the sooner we can get back into the pubs, the gyms and stadiums and arenas to see live sport again…
STAY AT HOME. Only leave for the following purposes:
- to shop for basic essentials – only when you really need to
- to do one form of exercise a day – such as a run, walk or cycle, alone or with other people you live with
- for any medical need – for example, to visit a pharmacy or deliver essential supplies to a vulnerable person
- to travel to and from work – but only where this is absolutely necessary
For more info and tips, visit the NHS website.
The government has also issued further detail on what we can do during lockdown.
Everyone should do what they can to stop coronavirus spreading.
Parlour also believes the Premier League shouldn’t get special treatment over the EFL, with the former proposing a return to action behind closed doors by June with ‘Project Restart’.
He added: “What about the clubs in League One or League Two in promotion battles and relegation fights?
“You can’t just rely on one league to go ahead and say don’t worry about the others as you don’t matter because there’s no money in your league.
“You can’t look at it in that respect. I know the Premier League is where all of the money is, but you’ve got to look at the bigger picture.
“And while some of these teams fighting relegation would probably be happy if the season got cancelled, it can’t just be one rule for one and one for the others.”
