Summary

  • Latest updates on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting sport

  1. Palace allow use of Selhurst Park for ambulance servicepublished at 18:30 British Summer Time 7 May 2020

    Crystal Palace

    Premier League side Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park ground is being used by London ambulance staff for rest and meal breaks whilst on duty.

    With upto 180 paramedics and non-paramedic staff operating in the local area, hot meals and refreshments will be provided for all guests prepared by club chefs.

    Palace director of operations Sharon Lacey said: "We have been liaising with our local NHS Trust about ways we can support the health service during this time of crisis.

    "We are delighted to be able to offer assistance to the London Ambulance Service crew, who are saving lives in our community."

  2. Free passes for season ticket holderspublished at 18:18 British Summer Time 7 May 2020

    Spanish La Liga

    Spanish La Liga side Getafe will offer all season ticket holders free passes for the entirety of the next campaign to mitigate for the disruption of this season due to the coronavirus pandemic, the club's president Angel Torres has said.

    Getafe's announcement comes a day after Atletico Madrid said they would offer their season ticket holders a 20% discount for their passes for the following campaign to compensate for the loss of five matches this season due to the halt in action.

  3. No fans for 'a year or more' - Dutch ministerpublished at 18:05 British Summer Time 7 May 2020

    The Dutch health minister has warned spectators may not be able to return to watch sporting events "for a year or more", until a vaccine is found.

    Professional sport even behind closed doors in Holland has been prohibited until 1 September at the earliest, which has already led to the top-flight Eredivisie football competition being forced to end prematurely.

    Dutch website voetbalprimeur.nl quoted a letter from health minister Hugo de Jonge to the nation’s parliament which read: "We cannot yet mention a date for the last step, the mass gatherings.

    "That is actually only possible if there is a vaccine and no one knows how long it will take. We hope of course soon, but a year or more is very real."

  4. Travel the only concern - Kaymerpublished at 17:51 British Summer Time 7 May 2020

    More from Martin Kaymer's interview with BBC Radio 5 live and the former world number one believes getting to tournaments would represent this biggest challenge to golf's return.

    "In the professional way golf shouldn’t be a problem at all," he says. "The only problem I see is travelling to tournaments. We are playing in the European Tour, European players, everywhere in Europe. They need to get from A to B and I think the travel arrangements must be so tricky.

    "But if there's a sport then golf should be one of them that should be allowed as soon as it's safe. I don’t see a big problem, we can play in twosomes instead of threesomes that shouldn't be a problem. But the problem is to get to those events."

    Martin Kaymer on the European TourImage source, Getty Images
  5. 'The Ford Fiesta ain’t going to get past the Ferrari!'published at 17:01 British Summer Time 7 May 2020

    Dean HendersonImage source, Getty Images

    More from Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder, who is asked about the situation regarding England goalkeeper Dean Henderson, if Premier League football is played beyond the completion of his loan from Manchester United on 30 June.

    "Personally I think it would be morally correct to leave him playing at Sheffield United for the last 10 games of the season," Wilder said.

    "But we all know that because of the legalities and the situation regarding expiry of loans that (United) might take that decision.

    The Blades are only two points behind fifth-placed Manchester United with a game in hand, but Wilder insists: "We’re not a threat to Man U so I’m sure that they’ll be quite happy with the players that they've got to see them through the season. The Ford Fiesta ain’t going to get past the Ferrari!"

  6. Footballers take to the arrows for the NHSpublished at 16:30 British Summer Time 7 May 2020

    Footballers James Maddison, Declan Rice, Charlie Austin and Paul Gallagher are set to star in a special footballers edition of 'Darts At Home' on Sunday to raise money for the NHS.

    'Darts At Home: Footballers Special' will be played from 14:00 BST this Sunday 10 May and shown live on the PDC's YouTube channel. Fans will be able to donate throughout the event.

  7. Wilder would respect decision of playerspublished at 16:02 British Summer Time 7 May 2020

    Chris WilderImage source, Getty Images

    Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder insists he would support any Blades player who asked to be excluded because of coronavirus concerns when football is given the go-ahead to resume.

    "If any individual player took that decision and came to me and said, 'It’s not for me,' I'd respect that," Wilder said.

    Asked about Monday's vote on Premier League proposals to return, he added: "I've had experience of working in all levels of football and I do understand the implications if the Premier League didn’t restart - the effect that that would have down the pyramid as well. We’ve got to look after all aspects of football. I think we finish the season, however long it takes."

  8. Saturday's Football Focuspublished at 15:29 British Summer Time 7 May 2020

    Football Focus

    Dan Walker will be back with you again on Saturday at 12:00 BST for Football Focus, featuring an interview with Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer. Reece Parkinson catches up with Tammy Abraham, there is a VE Day film from Southampton FC, the latest on the Bundesliga, your goals at home and a classic match from the archive.

  9. Brighton chief still against neutral venuespublished at 15:21 British Summer Time 7 May 2020

    Brighton's Amex StadiumImage source, Getty Images

    Brighton chief executive Paul Barber remains opposed to the idea of the Premier League season finishing at neutral venues.

    A vote is set to take place on Monday on proposals for a return to football and Barber says: "We haven’t seen the completed plan. At the moment we have got certain pieces, but not all of the pieces.

    "It is important over the next few days that we start to see a complete picture of everything we are being asked to agree to.

    "We accept there are going to have to be compromises, but we can’t support something that will jeopardise our place in the Premier League."

  10. Football to resume in Bulgariapublished at 14:51 British Summer Time 7 May 2020

    Bulgaria's top division will resume after the COVID-19 stoppage on 5 June without spectators in a shortened format, which would allow the league season to be completed within a month, the country's football union said on Thursday.

    The decision means the top tier comprising 14 clubs will play another two rounds of matches to complete the regular season, while championship and relegation playoffs requiring an additional 10 rounds have been reduced to five.

    The Balkan state's league has been on hold since March 13 as part of countrywide lockdown measures which have begun to be eased with athletes allowed to conduct individual outdoor training.

  11. 'We have set a blueprint'published at 14:45 British Summer Time 7 May 2020

    UFCImage source, Getty Images

    The final part of UFC chief operating officer Lawrence Epstein's interview with BBC Sportsworld and he believes its return behind closed doors in Florida this weekend could be an example for other sports to follow.

    "We’ve spent a good chunk of this quarantine time with our team and medical experts to put together what is a 25-page comprehensive health and safety protocol," Epstein says.

    "We worked with local authorities, in this particular time the state of Florida, the governor of Florida and the state commission. So I think we have set a blueprint on how you can get this done and we're happy to share any of our information with our partners in the sports entertainment landscape to see if they can get back to work also."

  12. Planning for UFC returnpublished at 14:35 British Summer Time 7 May 2020

    UFCImage source, Getty Images

    UFC is back this weekend behind closed doors in Florida and chief operating officer Lawrence Epstein has been talking to the BBC's Sportsworld about the preparations.

    "At first it’s all about limiting the amount of people involved in the production, typically for a regular UFC event we have over 300 people that are involved in producing and staging, we have reduced that number by more than half," he says.

    "The second step is screening, before anyone travels to Jacksonville they are extensively screened. Once that screening has been completed travel would begin and when they arrive another screening process takes place and then an antibody test is given to everybody.

    "Normally the results are shown in 10-15 minutes, and if someone tests positive they would be isolated and immediately given viral test to determine whether they currently have the virus. This screening and testing process is done throughout fight week and also following the event taking place."

  13. Three Flamengo players test positivepublished at 14:00 British Summer Time 7 May 2020

    Three first-team players at Brazilian champions Flamengo have tested positive for the new coronavirus, along with 35 other people linked to the club, the Rio de Janeiro side said.

    The club carried out 293 tests on players, officials and their families between April 30 and May 3.

    "For those that tested positive, all of them asymptomatic, the measures taken will be isolation and quarantine, daily monitoring with questions about their vital signs and evolution," the club said in a statement released late on Wednesday.

    The players whose family members tested positive will also have to enter quarantine, it added.

    Flamengo did not name the players who tested positive but the Copa Libertadores champions have the most star-studded squad in South American football, with names such as Gabriel Barbosa, Filipe Luis, Diego Alves and Rafinha.

  14. Dattani's communication pleapublished at 13:48 British Summer Time 7 May 2020

    Naomi DattaniImage source, Getty Images

    Middlesex women’s captain Naomi Dattani has been talking to the BBC World Service's cricket magazine programme Stumped about the impact coronavirus has had, including missing out on new event The Hundred, which has been postponed until 2021.

    "We were meant to start last weekend, the county championship, the T20s and Middlesex had also organised some 50 over games to play for our county then play a bit of club cricket and then go into The Hundred," the 26-year-old explains.

    "A jam-packed summer with a lot of exciting things, so I'm a bit lost in what I’m doing at the moment and just trying to make a routine, but the motivation to pick up a cricket bat right now is not there. We all know that the safety is the most important thing but I’m finding it really difficult.

    "For now we just know that everything's on hold and our contracts for The Hundred are abandoned and that’s as much as we know so far.

    "If we had just more direct communication with a timeline of things as best they can, I think it would put a lot of girls' minds at ease."

  15. Bundesliga return...published at 13:36 British Summer Time 7 May 2020

    More now on the Bundesliga's confirmed resumption on 16 May.

    The German Football Association (DFB) said the season would resume under strict health protocols that bans fans from the stadium and requires players to have Covid-19 testing.

    The league has been suspended since 13 March; clubs returned to training in mid-April with players working out in groups.

    Christian Seifert, chief executive of the German Football League (DFL), held a news conference on Wednesday where he said despite the empty stands and other restrictions, "it was crucial to resume play".

    You can read more here.

  16. AJ, Croatia and the amphitheatre...published at 13:21 British Summer Time 7 May 2020

    anthony JoshuaImage source, Getty Images

    Anthony Joshua's heavyweight world title contest with Kubrat Pulev could end up in unfamiliar surroundings for boxing.

    Pulev's manager has told media there are talks underway to hold the event in Croatia, at a Roman amphitheatre no less.

    For more on the story click here.

  17. Confirmation of Bundesliga returnpublished at 13:07 British Summer Time 7 May 2020

    John Bennett
    BBC World Service

    Erling HaalandImage source, Getty Images

    The Bundesliga will resume on Saturday 16th May.

    One of the first games will be the local derby between Schalke and Borussia Dortmund.

    There will be more to come on this story so stick with us.

  18. MotoGP pushes for return...published at 12:35 British Summer Time 7 May 2020

    MotoGP has proposed starting its season, after months of delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with two races on consecutive weekends in July at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain.

    It said in a statement on Thursday that the regional government of Andalusia, the city council of Jerez and series promoters Dorna had agreed to make a proposal to the Spanish government.

    If approved, Jerez would host MotoGP grands prix on July 19 and 26 as well as a round of the world superbike championship on Aug. 2.

  19. Premier League top-10 analysispublished at 12:33 British Summer Time 7 May 2020

    BBC Sport statistician Chris Collinson has been the assessing the squads of the top 10 teams in the Premier League and analysing which of them needs the most work in the transfer window once football resumes.

    Discover his findings here.

  20. 'Fury-Wilder indoors? No chance'published at 12:24 British Summer Time 7 May 2020

    Deontay WilderImage source, Getty Images

    Boxing must "avoid being left behind" amid the coronavirus pandemic but there is "no chance" of bouts like Tyson Fury v Deontay Wilder going behind closed doors, promoter Frank Warren says.

    Warren was speaking after details emerged of theBritish Boxing Board of Control's plans for a July return.

    The 68-year-old added that the first UK fights to get the go-ahead are likely to be "British-title level".

    "There’s not going to be big-name fighters out there," Warren said.

    "There is no chance of Fury v Wilder behind closed doors."

    Read more here.