Update on press conference access.
We are delighted to announce that the Premier League has agreed press conferences should be held in person before matches from today (March 1) and then post-match from Saturday March 5.
Reporters should be allowed to cover press conferences as normal again, subject to some space restrictions, in which case a hybrid of in-person and virtual access should apply.
Until April 1, when the UK Government will end the supply of free Lateral Flow Testing, reporters wishing to attend press conferences in person will need to provide proof of a negative LFT taken within 24 hours of the event. After April 1, reporters must declare they are free of Covid-19 symptoms.
We at the FWA welcome this return to normality in covering football, and thank the Premier League, clubs and the hard work of your national executive committee for ensuring access.
Full details:
From March 1, in-person pre-match press conferences will be mandatory with a hybrid virtual element for those clubs needing to restrict numbers.
From March 5, in-person post-match press conferences will be mandatory and a hybrid element will be available for those clubs needing to restrict numbers.
Mixed zones to be conducted pitchside for now. The situation will be reviewed, aiming for a return to standard mixed zones, after the international break on April 2.
Testing requirements:
Pre-match (from March 1):
Reporters must show proof of a negative LFT within 24 hours to enter the training ground (until 1 April when access to free testing will be removed by Government)
Post-match (from March 5):
Attending media must declare that they do not have symptoms and that they have returned a self-sourced negative LFT (until April 1 when access to free testing will be removed by Government)
Mixed zones to be conducted pitchside with a review to return to standard mixed zones post the international break on April 2.
