Premier League season latest: Steve Parish hopeful clubs will find consensus of ending campaign after coronavirus pandemic disruption

There is a division between the 20 clubs over Project Restart's plans to finish the 2019/20 at neutral venues, with Brighton, Aston Villa and Watford all vocal in their opposition to it.

Clubs will meet for a crunch vote on Monday and Parish hopes they can unite in agreement.

"There are no easy answers, we have to work through it as a collective and I think we will and come out with a consensus in the end," he said on The Andrew Marr Show.

"(The meeting) is another part of the journey in trying to get football back. We would be derelict in our duty if we did not find a way for the game to come back.

"It may prove beyond us, we have huge challenges in order to get it back to complete the season but we are planning on doing so."

The Premier League will have a keen eye on how things pan out in Germany, who are due to restart their top two leagues next weekend.

However, that could now be in doubt after Bundesliga 2 side Dynamo Dresden went into a 14-day quarantine after two players tested positive for coronavirus and their match has been postponed.

Parish added: "Hopefully we have the German situation going on, if that is successful that could provide a blueprint for us.

"We are hoping it is successful. Clearly we can see some of the early challenges, they may prove insurmountable.

"The concern for us is if they prove insurmountable now, we may be in for a very, very extended period of not being able to play and that has huge ramifications for the game."

Watford question neutral venues

Watford are the latest club to rail against plans to end the season at neutral venues, with chairman Scott Duxbury expressing doubts.

Brighton chief warns: It could cost lives

Brighton chief executive Paul Barber has warned a premature return from the coronavirus pandemic could "cost lives" as opposition continues to grow to the Premier League's Project Restart.

Watford became the latest club to rail against plans to end the season at neutral venues, with chairman Scott Duxbury saying the league has a "duty of care" to address concerns about a "distorted nine-game mini-league".

Barber has made Brighton's opposition plain from the start but he ramped up his concerns, telling the Daily Mail: "We have got to be careful that we do not misstep here because if we do, it could ruin lives. It could cost lives. And we cannot afford that."

Ahead of Monday's crunch meeting of top-flight shareholders, Watford, Brighton and Aston Villa have now made their opposition to the current plans clear.

The plan to use neutral grounds for the remaining 92 fixtures sticks in Duxbury's craw, with Watford 17th in the Premier League and looking to stave off relegation amid a challenging backdrop brought by Covid-19.

"There is no altruism in the Premier League," he said. "There are 20 different vested interests, which sometimes align but more often than not work purely to protect each individual club.

"That is why some clubs are happy to sign up to 'Project Restart' because arguably there is only an upside in participating in this compromised format; it means Liverpool can win the title, other clubs can book their place in Europe next season or potentially fight their way up the table from a position of safety.

"But when at least six clubs - and I suspect more - are concerned about the clear downside and the devastating effects of playing in this kind of distorted nine-game mini-league, then I believe the Premier League has a duty of care to address those concerns.

"If we start and finish a whole season under these conditions and at neutral venues when everybody knows the rules when we start, not created in a time of crisis, then that is clearly fair.

"To be asked to finish a quarter of the season under new rules and conditions is an entirely different proposition.

"How can the long-term future of clubs be determined under these fundamentally changed conditions? How is there any semblance of fairness? To wave aside all the fears and concerns is too simplistic.

"Surely all 20 clubs must agree the fairest way forward to complete the season? I hope we can now come together and find a solution to enable the season to end safely and fairly."

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