South Yorkshire police chief tells Premier League Project Restart critics to "get a grip"

Clubs are understood to have been told the use of eight to 10 neutral venues is the only way the campaign can be finished in a way which satisfies the Government and emergency services amid the coronavirus pandemic.

That has drawn some criticism, with Brighton's chief executive Paul Barber the most vocal so far, claiming the removal of the home-and-away element of the league would be "unfair".

But with the death toll in the United Kingdom from the virus more than 30,000, Mark Roberts - the national football policing lead officer - said other complaints pale into insignificance.

"There are comments that the integrity of the game may in some way be compromised if some teams have to play a game at a neutral venue, they played someone at home earlier in the season with a crowd and now they are being asked to play at a neutral venue with no crowd," he told ITV News.

"Fine, these are all in a football sense, really important.

"But in a broader context where the country has seen 30,000 and rising deaths then really some of the people making these comments need to get a grip because we have all got a responsibility to make progress for the benefit for the country, but equally to do it in a way that minimises the risk that anything we do adds to that death toll."

Barber added: "The reality is we are three-quarters of the way through the season. In our case we have got four of the six biggest clubs not just in the league but in Europe at our ground.

"Traditionally we've done OK against those teams largely. It's not just about the crowds, the statistics are very clear - there is a clear advantage from being on your home venue. To strip that away feels unfair."

Premier League clubs will gather for a pivotal meeting on Monday, when a decision on whether to complete the season on a neutral venues basis is set to be made.