The Premier League has written to all 20 clubs "advising them to be extra vigilant against the threat of a terrorist strike," according to Mike Keegan of the London DAILY MAIL. The letter was "sent in the wake of last month's attack on a Berlin Christmas market that left 12 dead and 56 injured." ManU has "already stepped up" its security measures. Following the twin attacks close to Besiktas' Vodafone Arena in Istanbul that killed 44 last month, ManU is "checking vehicles that use club car parks for bombs." The club was "acting independently" when it ordered the car searches. Premier League officials receive updates from the National Counter Terrorism Security Office, and "an update in response to the Berlin attack is believed to have prompted the letter asking clubs to be on alert." They also "provided security advice, though it is understood the League has left it to individual clubs to act as they see fit." In '15, "extra security measures were adapted at Premier League clubs following the Paris massacre, when 129 people were murdered in the French capital" (DAILY MAIL, 1/4).
CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE: ESPN.com's Dale Johnson reported Premier League clubs could "face a hectic Christmas next year with the prospect of six rounds of games squeezed into little more than two weeks." Although the "full breakdown of matchdays will not be set in stone for several weeks yet," the draft plan is to play on Dec. 16, 20, 23, 26, 30 and Jan. 2 in '17-18 -- essentially a sixth of the season over the festive period. Not all clubs will play on those specific dates as, like this season, "fixtures are moved around for television coverage -- which has been the subject of many managers' ire as much as the schedule itself" (ESPN.com, 1/5).
