When it was announced players were to resume training, the focus on football returned to how the season should be concluded.

For Spirit of Shankly and The Blue Union, our primary concern remains the number of cases and tragic deaths from Covid-19. Ideally competitive football would restart when it is safe for all – players, officials, matchday staff and the game’s main stakeholders, supporters. In reality this is unlikely.

The consensus is that if the season is to be finished it will be behind closed doors without fans. Therefore it is vital that the football authorities engage with fans to ensure a satisfactory situation for all: those who go to matches, and those who watch on TV.

SOS welcome LFC’s decision to refund both season-ticket and matchday-ticket holders for games they are unable to attend. And we would hope during this time that those in charge make televised games free to air.

On the issues of safety, SOS will support any players and staff who feel unable to participate in matches due to concerns for their own or their families’.

On Thursday 21 May, SOS and The Blue Union attended a SGSA (Sports Ground Safety Authority) meeting, but no decisions were made.

We also recognise the wider implications of lockdown and are disappointed to hear talk in the media, from politicians and police chiefs regarding fans gathering outside stadiums. There is no evidence this will happen. When the Bundesliga returned in Germany, where similar publicised concerns had been expressed, there were zero incidents involving fans.

We fully understand the importance of lockdown as a measure to control Covid-19 and would encourage fans to stay away from any stadium and avoid congregating in numbers.