Community Shield ‘being explored as test event to allow fans back inside stadiums’

The Community Shield is reportedly being considered as a test event to get supporters back inside the stadium before the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

Matches have been played behind closed doors throughout Europe since football’s resumption amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which decimated the sporting calendar.

The curtain-raiser taking place at all is only viewed at 50-50 due to what is expected to be a severely shortened 2020-21 season – which could also threaten the winter break and the top clubs playing in the Carabao Cup, while FA Cup replays may also be scrapped.

The Community Shield is under consideration as a test event to get fans back into stadiums

But according to The Times, if the Community Shield gets given the green light it could be used to help plan for getting fans back into stadiums.

Premier League clubs are meeting once again on Tuesday to continue discussing plans going forward as football looks to keep health and safety protocols in place, with issues around next season’s calendar set to be the main topic.

The traditional Community Shield is played between the winners of the Premier League and the FA Cup the week before the season starts but it is likely to be scrapped completely this year unless fans are given the go-ahead to attend.

The report claims that Premier League clubs would support the move to play the Community Shield if it helped quicken up the process of allowing fans back into grounds.

The match is usually played at England’s national stadium – Wembley – but it could be held at a neutral stadium if it was deemed more practical for planning purposes and public transport.

Meanwhile, as football’s suspension has led to the current calendar eating into clubs’ annual pre-season routine, next season is set to be severely congested.

The Premier League’s TV deals guarantees 34 weekends of football, which will threaten the new winter break in January – which was only brought into play this season.

Furthermore, The Times reported that there is plenty of uncertainty regarding the Carabao Cup as its dates would clash with at least two European competition dates.

This could lead to the Premier League’s big guns potentially fielding young teams in the Carabao Cup instead.

And finally, FA Cup replays may be scrapped altogether next season, with Premier League clubs looking for ways to ease the packed fixture list.