NUFC release official statement & Steve Bruce speaks out as Premier League agree to ‘phase one’ of return

A club statement has confirmed that first-team players will return to training on Tuesday in after a decisive vote on ‘phase one’ of the Premier League’s “Project Restart” plan.

All 20 clubs came to an agreement that players can return from tomorrow, albeit with strict procedures that must be followed.

Players will be allocated specific training times, meaning they will only be training together in small groups for four and five rather than a whole squad.

All training equipment including balls will be disinfected and training kit will be delivered to players houses, allowing them to turn up to work in uniform and thus nullifying the use of changing rooms.

Here’s Steve Bruce’s video message on NUFC TV – where he discusses the scheduled return and gives an insight into the precautions that have been introduced – along with the official statement released by the club:

Club statement:

Newcastle United’s players are set to return in small groups to the club’s training ground this week as they begin their preparations for the proposed resumption of the 2019/20 Premier League campaign.

The season was suspended in March due to the coronavirus outbreak and Steve Bruce’s squad have been working on individual training programmes at home over the past few weeks.

However, based on the latest government advice, and following a Premier League shareholders meeting, United’s players will begin phase one of their return to small group training on Tuesday.

To ensure this is as safe as possible, Newcastle United kindly asks supporters and media not to travel to the training ground perimeter during this time and to continue adhering to the latest government guidance at gov.uk/coronavirus.

Players, coaches and essential support staff have now been tested for Covid-19 at the training ground in conjunction with the Premier League by global genomics health business Prenetics.

On Tuesday – by which time all test results will be known – players and staff will arrive at pre-arranged times staggered in groups of a maximum of ten players, with each working in groups of no more than five in separate areas of two pitches to allow for social distancing measures at all times.

Players will arrive in their training kit, parking their cars at least three spaces apart, and will head straight out to the field, with no access to the main building. They will then leave immediately after training. All equipment – including balls, corner flags, cones, goalposts, GPS units, boots and gloves – will be regularly disinfected and players will wear protective snoods on their faces at all times.

The players and staff will also be using an innovative app, developed by world leading bio-analytics company Orecco in association with Newcastle United, to record any potential symptoms.

Players and staff will update the app each day and access to the training ground will only be permitted if they are deemed to be showing no symptoms.

This comes on a day when Championship clubs will also begin testing players ahead of a return to training next Monday, so it looks as though the football season – rightly or wrongly – will resume in England after all.

The Scottish Premier League have declared there season over, with Celtic being crowned champions and Hearts falling victim to relegation, something that could result in legal action.

No doubt the Premier League has closely monitored the Bundesliga over the weekend, and will feel they have the funds and technology behind them to bring our own game back safely.

Full steam ahead from June then..

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4 thoughts on “NUFC release official statement & Steve Bruce speaks out as Premier League agree to ‘phase one’ of return

  1. Stop all this update imernant boll@(s say nowt until the prem or new owner’s tell us it’s done sick of all the **** relieable sources yer right really reliable (NOT) 😥

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