Premier League Restart: Police 'fearful' of crowds outside stadiums

Police Chief says "we are in very difficult times" - SkySports

The Chief of Greater Manchester Police says his force are "fearful" of crowds turning up at football stadiums if the Premier League season restarts.

The League hopes to return on 12 June with
games played behind closed doors.

But GMP Chief Constable Ian Hopkins believes some "tricky fixtures" could pose a problem for policing.

"Liverpool coming to Manchester City I have no doubt would attract crowds whether they're allowed in the ground or not," he said.

"It needs very, very careful thinking through."

Hopkins added: "what we're fearful of is that people will turn up either at neutral grounds or at home grounds, and some of that could be particularly problematic.

"I'm not saying from a policing perspective it would be impossible to police because clearly it wouldn't - we police hundreds of thousands of people in normal circumstances at events right across Greater Manchester.

"But we are in very special and difficult times, and it remains a health issue so the thought of large groups of people coming together and not practising social distancing is a difficult one."

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, says the "best way to approach" resuming the season should be to consult with those "that would be most affected" - the players.
BBCSport