Football has always adapted to hard times. Its return might help us feel less alone | Jonathan Wilson

Premier League was right to stop when it did but with every other UK industry looking at how to restart, why not football?

It is now 10 weeks since league football was last played in England, the longest suspension of the game since the inauguration of the League in 1888 (although there used to be a respectful pause for three months in the summer for cricket). Even during the wars, football did not stop for as long as this. As the Bundesliga resumes and the Premier League steps up its plans for a restart, it’s worth considering why. Money may be a prime driving force now, but that hasn’t always been the case; since it was invented there has been an urge to get football played.

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