Proposal to shorten Premier League match lengths is absurd

PFA executive Gordon Taylor has revealed that the Premier League might shorten the length of their halves once football returns – an absurd proposal.

It seems that the Premier League is willing to do anything and everything to complete the 2019-20 season, although some players are concerned about the risks involved, which makes sense. The Premier League seems to have its priorities all out of order, valuing TV money and the general plumpness of their pockets over the safety of their staff and players.

Talks are ongoing between the parties involved about a potential restart, and this week, PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor has revealed one of the outlandish propositions being put forth in order to complete the season – shortening the halves to less than 45 minutes.

This would allow matches to be completed faster, minimizing the risk of spreading this disease by a small margin, but not a big enough margin to justify defying the traditions and laws of the game so blatantly. Matches are also expected to be played in neutral stadiums, with no fans in attendance, of course.

Shortening the halves of a football match just to get your broadcasting money is doing a disservice to the fans watching the match (on their televisions, of course), and simply insulting the traditions of the game that have been kept alive for generations.

Of course, these are unprecedented times, but if you have to consider bending rules in this manner to play football matches, then perhaps the question should be whether they should be played at all.

None of this is set in stone, and it’s simply a suggestion or a proposition at this point, but it clearly shows the vast measures the Premier League are willing to consider in order to complete the season. It seems a bit desperate, especially when footballers are continuing to get sick with COVID-19.

The Premier League’s “project restart” is aiming to kick things off once again for the 2019-20 season in early June, so in just over a month’s time. Clubs have even begun light training at their private grounds in the last week or so, although strict measures are still in place in that regard.

It seems that things are moving quickly when it comes to restarting football, with the Bundesliga also set to kick off very soon, but with the situation regarding COVID-19 changing by the day, that doesn’t come as much of a surprise.