America's Major League soccer remains postponed until at least 8 June, but are hoping to find a solution that involves all matches being played in front of fans.

Gray continued: "It was a great wish of his to see Leeds United playing back in the Premier League and hopefully when football gets back, Leeds United can get into the Premier League and it will be a fitting tribute."

"You’d rather play with him than play against him," Gray added. "He was a great defender and a great footballer.

"He used to kick you in training at times. When he kicked you in training, Norman would pick you up and pat you on the head but then he’d probably kick you again."

Former Leeds United winger Eddie Gray has paid tribute to Norman Hunter, who has died in hospital aged 76 after contracting coronavirus. Speaking to BBC Yorkshire, Gray said:

"Norman Hunter was an iconic figure at the football club.

"It’s a difficult time for everybody. He was a great guy and a truly great player.

"A lot of people don’t realise because of Norman ‘Bite Yer Legs’.

"He quite liked it, frightening people, but it took away from his ability as a player."

Simon Stone
BBC Sport

Premier League clubs remain committed to finishing the 92 remaining fixtures of the current season but did not discuss a deadline by which play must resume at a meeting on Friday.

In the end, the 30 June deadline demand some were so keen to push earlier in the week was never raised.

The feeling that today's meeting was not the right time to widen the debate and the Premier League desire for a united front was strong enough to dissuade a discussion that would have extended the chat, which was wrapped up in under two hours.

Individual clubs will go away to continue discussions with players about wage cuts and deferrals and wait to see what comes out of two Uefa meetings next week.

Before their next scheduled meeting on 1 May, lessons should also be absorbed from Germany.

Some Bundesliga players have already returned to their clubs for training under social distancing rules - getting changed at home and returning to shower after picking up some food.

A Bundesliga meeting on Thursday will offer guidance on if and when this can be stepped up following the revised regulations announced by German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday.

It will start to offer the Premier League some kind of clarity over the major discussions today, which centred around different start and end dates to play the remainder of the 2019-20 campaign.

At the moment, it is felt eight weeks will be enough from returning to training in order to regain match fitness and play nine rounds of games to complete the season.

Germany's experience will help frame whether that prospect is a realistic one.

In the meantime, as has been the case since matches were first called off five weeks ago, the only certainty is uncertainty.

The Extreme E all-electric climate aware racing series is getting involved in the fight against the effects of the coronavirus.

Working with engineering company QEV Technologies, they will distribute its Q-Vent respirator, developed and manufactured in tandem with the Hospital de Sant Pau, in Barcelona, Nissan and the Eurecat technology centre. The respirator is designed to be used in intensive care units in hospitals, especially those in developing nations.

It's not yet known if Extreme E's first race date in February 2021 will be affected by the crisis - the sport intends to race electric SUVs in five remote locations around the world to highlight climate change, including Greenland and the Brazilian Amazon.

A number of drivers have already signed up to race, including Billy Monger and Jamie Chadwick.

Image source, extreme e

Image source, extreme e

The international rugby union calendar being scrapped this year because of the coronavirus pandemic is a "distinct possibility", says World Rugby chairman Sir Bill Beaumont.

The organisation is looking at ways to return to playing and finishing the 2020 international calendar.

On Thursday, World Rugby announced it was providing an £80m relief fund to aid national unions through the crisis.

"The pressures on the unions are getting greater and greater," said Beaumont.

Russell Fuller
BBC tennis correspondent

The fate of this year's US Open will not be decided until June, but it is "highly unlikely" to be staged behind closed doors.

The US Tennis Association (USTA) has set up a medical advisory group to help them determine whether it will be safe to play the tournament.

The US Open is due to begin at Flushing Meadows in New York on 31 August.

More than 10,000 people have died from coronavirus in the city and lockdown measures have been extended to 15 May.

Read the full piece

The Laver Cup - which sees Team Europe take on Team World - has been postponed for another year.

The 2020 edition of the event was due to take place in September in Boston, but it will now be held next year.

Roger Federer was involved in the creation of the tournament, which aims to be "the Ryder Cup of tennis".

The Premier League has announced plans for an ePremier League Fifa competition on 25 April to raise money for the #PlayersTogether initiative.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Raheem Sterling are amongst those involved.

One of the leading experts in global public health has described the plan to stage the 2020 Tour de France, even as late as the end of August, as a "recipe for disaster."

Devi Sridhar, chair of Global Public Health at the University of Edinburgh, warned that the Tour going ahead could kick-start another spread of the virus in Europe.

"It's a painful decision but they have no choice," Sridhar told Cyclingnews., external "The wise thing to do is cancel for this year.

"[The Tour promoters] have to weigh the risks against the benefits. Thousands of people from all over the world, gathered together, moving around, from town to town, this is where a virus could thrive - it could be a recipe for disaster.

"There is definitely a risk that the Tour de France moving around and unwittingly spreading the virus could kick start a new lockdown."

The International Cricket Council has played down speculation this year's T20 World Cup could be pushed back to 2021 but admitted it is "exploring all options" with regards to contingency planning.

The tournament is due to take place in Australia from 18 October to 13 November.

An ICC spokesperson said: "We are continuing with our planning for ICC events as they are, but given the rapidly evolving situation as a prudent and responsible measure we are also undertaking a comprehensive contingency planning exercise.

"This includes exploring all options available to us based on a range ofscenarios connected to the pandemic.

"We will continue to take advice from experts and authorities, including the Australian government and will take decisions at the appropriate time.

"We will utilise all the data and information available to us to ensure we can take well-informed, responsible decisions that are in the best interests of our sport."

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc accepts that Formula 1 will have to start its season behind closed doors but says it will feel “very different”.

The first nine races have been called off as a result of the coronavirus crisis and F1 bosses are working to a plan to start the season in Austria on 3-5 July followed by two races at Silverstone, all of them without spectators.

Leclerc told BBC Radio 5 live: “In a situation like this, the safety and health of everyone comes first, so whatever we can do to start the season as early as possible but in a safe way it will be better, even if the spectators are not here.

“But as a driver obviously you feel the support. Last year in Monza going there, being in Italy, driving for Ferrari, we definitely felt the support and it helped us to win the race and it was a very special weekend.

“For any driver the fans supporting you in the grandstands feel special but obviously in the situation at the moment it might not be possible so at first we’ll probably have to start like that."

Leclerc will later today take part in the final e-races in a competition he has set up with the aim of raising $100,000 for the World Health Organisation’s Covid-19 relief fund.

His fellow F1 drivers Lando Norris and Alex Albon are also taking part.

“We are having fun and I think we are entertaining the fans at home who at the moment cannot watch the real sport,” Leclerc said.

“The goal is very optimistic, which is $100,000. We are halfway through and tonight there will be the last event which will be three races and let’s hope we can reach the goal.”

Leclerc will broadcast the event on his Twitch account.

Image source, Getty Images

Ian Dennis
BBC Radio 5 Live senior football reporter

Premier League clubs are discussing lots of options at a meeting today. I don’t think there will be anything definitive to come out of it.

There has been a lot of talk of a deadline of 30 June for this season but I’m not sure we’ll get anything set in stone.

Dan Roan
BBC Sports editor

Separate from the open letter to fans from EFL chief Rick Parry today, the EFL also sent clubs a letter yesterday which gives an insight into the forces at play behind the financial impact of suspension, and plans for a potential return to play.

There is one particularly interesting part which reads: “Our planning needs to be agile enough to allow us to be as prepared as possible for a start at relatively short notice.“

Bassist Simon Rix from Leeds band Kaiser Chiefs has paid tribute to Hunter.

Peter Shilton
Former England goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live

Norman was a very well-liked man in the game. I first started playing against him when I’d just started playing at Leicester.

It was a great Leeds team and he was a big part of that.

I went on to play with him with England. He had a great ability but will be remembered as one of the hard men of football in an era when those tackles were allowed to happen.

Norman always had a laugh. He was very professional, a hard worker and someone who was good to have around in the squad.

He was somebody you never liked playing against because he did let players know he was around. He was a great player. He had a lot more than just being a tough man.

If you're just joining us, this morning we learned the sad news that Leeds United great Norman Hunter has died in hospital aged 76 after contracting coronavirus.

The tough-tackling centre-back, nicknamed 'Bites Yer Legs', was a key player in Leeds' most successful era.

He won two league titles during a 14-year first-team career at Elland Road, and was a non-playing member of England's 1966 World Cup-winning squad.

Image source, Getty Images