Grassroots football and Stretford Paddock FC may return sooner than expected!

The exact date of when Stretford Paddock FC and grassroots football will return is unknown at this moment in time. However, Health Secretary Matt Hancock expressed that the government wants grassroots football back “as soon as we safely can”. The chief medical officer for England, Chris Whitty also suggested the possibility of game and rule changes for it to be played before a vaccine is found.

After the government’s daily briefing on Thursday, it appears that grassroots football may return sooner than expected, which is good news for all of us at Stretford Paddock FC.

Hancock said: “I very much hope we don’t have to wait for a vaccine. Some of the projects we’re putting in place like this testing and tracing are there to try and hold the number of new cases down whilst allowing more social distancing measures to be lifted.”

He also stated: “We want grassroots football back as soon as we safely can.”

For grassroots football to return, Stretford Paddock FC along with all the other teams across the leagues may have to adhere to rule changes set out by health officials.

“So, I definitely hope that football will be available – possibly with some degree of change of how it’s played, there may have to be some ways we think it through – in advance of a vaccine,” Professor Whitty said.

Whitty also added: “My very strong hope, and I’m sure this is a strong hope of everybody’s, is football is well before we get right out to that right-hand end of that path.”