Government door opened for Sheffield Wednesday & Co.

The UK’s Culture and Sport secretary, Oliver Dowden, has explained that the British government was ‘opening the door’ for football to return, over two months after it was brought to a standstill by the Coronavirus pandemic, but only ‘if it is safe to do so’.

Dowden had a meeting with stakeholders from the Premier League, Football Association and the English Football League on Thursday as they try and plan the way forward, and it appears that progress was made.

He is quoted as saying, “'Today's positive meeting I hosted with the football authorities progressed plans for the resumption of the professional game in England… We all agreed that we will only go ahead if it is safe to do so and the health and welfare of players, coaches and staff comes first.

"The government is opening the door for competitive football to return safely in June. This should include widening access for fans to view live coverage and ensure finances from the game's resumption supports the wider football family.

"There is combined goodwill to achieve this for their fans, the football community and the nation as a whole… The government and our medical experts will continue to offer guidance and support to the game ahead of any final decision which would put these plans into action.”

There are tentative plans to get games going again in the second week of June, with players returning to training around May 25th, though what happens between now and then will greatly influence what is feasible regarding a return to action.

Garry Monk’s Wednesday haven’t played since a 5-0 defeat at the hands of Brentford back in March, and while they sit 15th in the Championship as things stand, they still face the prospect of a potential points deduction while the EFL’s long-running misconduct charge against them still looms over their heads.