Premier League bound for Perth? Australian city offers to host rest of season

Posted Sunday, May 03, 2020 by Goal.com

Could the English top flight be heading down under? The brainchild of an English agent based in the city has won support from local politicians

In the uncertainty that has gripped football since the outbreak of coronavirus it seems that almost nothing is impossible - including packing up the entire Premier League and sending the top flight to the other side of the world.

Professional sporting activity in the United Kingdom has been halted since March, and with the country remaining in lockdown no firm date has been set to play out the remaining fixtures in 2019-20.

Australia, meanwhile, has of yet escaped the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, reporting fewer than 7,000 cases and 100 deaths to the UK's 184,000 and 28,000 respectively.

And one enterprising Perth resident believes that there is no reason why Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho and the rest of the Premier League could not decamp to the city in order to finish the season in relative safety.

"I have had discussions with contacts at Premier League clubs and they like the idea," agent Gary Williams, who was born in Birmingham, was quoted by The Sun.

"I have also spoken with government officials and they are enthusiastic. We are speaking again this week. Everybody is safe here. The government has lifted many restrictions.

"We are sitting round in groups of ten, we can walk around and the beaches are open. We have had four new cases in the last ten days.”

While the logistic and organisational headaches that would accompany such a plan are easy to imagine, Williams has found support from a local politician who would jump at the chance to see the Premier League's best descend on Western Australia.

Perth state senator Glenn Sterle explained: “I’m watching what’s happening in England with a heavy heart. We want to help.

"We have almost no new cases. It would just be a case of some quarantine for our friends when they arrive and then we are up and running.

"When Gary first mentioned it I thought it was a wonderful idea. I’m glad he is getting the same response from the people in the game he has called.

"This is the centre of the sporting universe in Australia. We have fresh air and good weather. It would be ideal.”

The Premier League recently reiterated its desire to complete the current campaign but concrete plans around how that would happen remain up in the air.

Perth has attracted Premier Leagues clubs previously with Chelsea and Manchester United visiting the city in recent years on pre-season tours.