Fans to return to sporting venues next month

Under the new system expected to be proposed by the Government, outdoor stadiums in tier one areas could host a maximum of 4,000 spectators with bigger indoor venues allowed 1,000.

Outside venues in tier two areas will be restricted to 2,000 spectators while the 1,000 limit to indoor venues will remain.

A ‘drive-in only’ rule will apply to tier three areas, effectively ruling out spectators at football or rugby matches in those parts of the country which are designated in that tier.

MPs are expected to vote on the proposals later this week.

In his statement detailing the long-awaited return of spectators to live sporting events, Prime Minster Boris Johnson said: 'In Tiers 1 and 2 spectator sports and business events will be free to resume inside and outside with capacity limits and social distancing.'

The considerable caveat is the fact that more places are likely to be placed in higher tiers than before when the country's second national lockdown ends on December 2.

Tier 3 is expected to be the toughest set of restrictions and will be applied to "very high" risk areas.

Much of England - including many areas of northern England - are widely expected to go into tier two or tier three as cases per 100,000 people remain high across most of the country.

The Government will announce which areas will enter which tiers on Thursday after they have access to the latest coronavirus data.

An EFL spokesman said: “The EFL welcomes today’s decision by the Government to allow the return of supporters, capped at 4,000 in tier 1 and 2,000 in tier 2 when the national lockdown ends next week. We now look forward to the re-opening of some EFL Club stadiums as we finally welcome back fans after eight long months away.

“Whilst today’s news is subject to regional restrictions, it is an important step in achieving a return to normal, alongside it being crucial to addressing the significant revenue gap left by a lack of spectators and other revenue streams as a result of the pandemic.

“The restrictions in place does mean that not all clubs will get the opportunity straight away to re-open their turnstiles and we still await further guidance from DCMS to understand what areas will be placed in which tier which will not be available until later this week. In the meantime we are doing all we can to ensure we are ready to return when allowed to do so.

“Having worked closely in developing the appropriate safety guidance in conjunction with DCMS and the SGSA, alongside undertaking a series of pilot events hosting up to 1,000 spectators in September, EFL Clubs have already demonstrated that they are well positioned to deliver the safe return of fans

“Exit analysis shows that those who attended pilot fixtures felt overwhelmingly safe and adhered to the necessary protocols and the EFL will continue its work with Clubs to ensure that they have the most up to-date safety procedures in place to welcome supporters back as soon as the relevant restrictions are lifted.”