UK Sports Set For June Return

As the lockdown restrictions begin to ease in the United Kingdom, fans are looking forward to the prospect of some sports returning in June. 

It's likely that the majority of events will take place without spectators, but that won't stop the crowds from catching the action on television or online, and that is good news for sportsbook affiliates across the globe who can expect an upturn in traffic over the coming weeks if plans come to fruition. 

British horse racing is one of the first that is expected to return, following in the hoof prints of USA horse racing & Hong Kong racing who have continued to operate over the past few months. 

The final confirmation on its return still lies with the British government, but prominent British Horse Racing Authority officials are confident that it will do so on the 1st June and have set plans in place, with Royal Ascot the first major fixture on the calendar. 

The Royal meeting is scheduled to start on the 16th June, with seven races set to take place on the first day. Six races have been added to the fixture in total with a bumper eight-race card on the final day. 

Aside from Royal Ascot, BHA plans include 13 meetings inside the first week of June, all of which will take place behind closed doors and will be spread out across the country, starting with the first fixture at Newcastle. 

Premier League football is finally set to return also. It seems to have taken an awful long time for the powers that be set a return date, which is understandable given the number of hurdles to overcome.

However, 17th June has been confirmed as the return date, with Aston Villa v Sheffield United and Arsenal v Man City kicking us off.

The best bit? There are a grand total of 92 fixtures to be played. We can hardly wait.

The German Bundesliga has already played a couple of match days behind closed doors, while Spain's La Liga has been given the thumbs up for the season to restart on June 11th with the Seville derby between Sevilla and Real Betis getting things back underway. There are even ongoing talks in Scotland to confirm whether or not the Betfred Cup will be finished in July. 

Away from football, other popular UK sports are also gearing up for a return in the not too distant future. The Betfred Super League was halted just seven games into the new season, but there is a proposal on the table for it to resume at the start of August, with the Betfred Super League Grand Final pushed back to as far as January 2021 if necessary. 

The Betfred World Matchplay Darts is also still expected to take place as scheduled from July 18th-26th at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. A final decision on the event will be made by the PDC on June 5th, although they have stated that if it isn't possible for the tournament to happen, then plans are in place for a later date in 2020.

In golf, Lee Westwood will host the Betfred British Masters for the second time at Close House. Beginning on July 22nd, the Masters will be the first of six consecutive tournaments staged in the UK without spectators in attendance.

Of course, a lot of these events depend on the specific countries government and how they update their rulings depending on their scientific evidence, but there is at least reason to be optimistic as we head into June. 

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