Premier League club, Watford have publicly expressed their opposition to plans of using of neutral venues as plans to restart the 2019/20 season gathers pace.
Two other clubs in England’s top division, Brighton and Aston Villa have already publicly stated their opposition to the plans for neutral venues to be used in hosting games in the Premier League’s proposed Project Restart plan.
Watford chairman, Scott Duxbury who also doubles as the club’s chief executive says such a plan will negate the principles of fairness and sporting integrity.
It is understood Premier League clubs are not planning to vote on whether to use neutral venues at a Monday meeting.
The vote looks likely to be held later in May and 14 of the 20 clubs must vote in favour for it to be adopted.
“I, of course, absolutely accept we cannot have supporters in the stadium,” Duxbury wrote in The Times.
“That goes without saying in the present situation.
“However, we are now told we cannot play our remaining home games at Vicarage Road and the familiarity and advantage that brings.
“This against a backdrop of players who, having seen their lives turned upside down along with the rest of the world, are suddenly expected to perform as if nothing has happened, despite the rest of society probably still facing the kind of restrictions unenforceable on a football pitch.
“We have club medical staff working under conditions that no doctor or physio has ever experienced with guidelines that, in no small part, are based at this stage on supposition rather than scientific fact.
“And with all these compromises and health risks we are asked to finish a competition that bears no resemblance to the one we started, which could end a small club like Watford’s time in the Premier League.
“So is this fair? Does it have any semblance of sporting integrity? Of course not,” he stated.
The Premier League has been suspended since 13 March but is aiming to resume in June with most teams faced with nine fixtures left to fulfil.
