Bramall Lane officials assess the implications of key Premier League pledge

Sheffield United welcomed the Premier League’s decision to try and complete the remainder of this season’s fixture schedule, despite pledging to explore every available option during an emergency summit meeting of its 20 member clubs.
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A joint statement, issued on behalf of the PL, the Football Association and the English Football League, confirmed all three bodies are committed to the idea of finishing the 2019/20 domestic and European programmes rather than abandoning them, as some within the game had argued, when it was published on Thursday.

As The Star revealed before those discussions, which were held via a teleconference facility, United’s delegation, headed by chief executive Steve Bettis, had vowed not to enter the talks with any preconceived ideas about how football should respond to the coronavirus crisis.

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Even though they adhered to this when the meeting took place, privately their preferred outcome was the one the governing bodies decided upon 24 hours ago.

United had climbed to seventh in the table and reached the quarter finals of the FA Cup before all competition was postponed amid the worsening health situation across the country.

"The progress of COVID-19 remains unclear and we can reassure everyone the health and welfare of players, staff and supporters are our priority," the statement, confirming the suspension will remain in place until at least the end of next month, said. "We will continue to follow government advice and work collaboratively to keep the situation under review and explore all options to find ways of resuming the season when conditions allow."