Leeds United and Sheffield United supporters could attend final-day games

The Government have announced their roadmap for bringing the country out of lockdown restrictions, with up to 10,000 sports fans possibly back in stadia by mid-May as part of their plans to move England out of lockdown.

It would come as part of step three of the four-stage plan laid out by PM Boris Johnson - by May 17 at the earliest.

The government's plan outlines how up to 10,000 people or a quarter of the stadium's capacity - whichever is the lowest - would be allowed.

It would mean any Premier League ground with a capacity of 40,000 or more could welcome 10,000 fans, while a smaller crowd, up to a quarter of the normal capacity, would be allowed in smaller venues.

Leeds - whose last home game in front of supporters was back on March 7 of last year - host West Brom on Sunday, May 23.

On the very same day - and what is highly likely to be their final top-flight fixture before returning to the Championship - the Blades welcome Burnley.

The news could also benefit any Yorkshire sides involved in the end-of-season EFL play-offs, dates permitting.

Middlesbrough and Barnsley are outsiders for the Championship play-offs, but will have a vested interest in their form continues.

In League One, Hull City and Doncaster Rovers have been in the promotion mix all season and should Bradford City maintain their excellent recent form, a spot in the play-offs in League Two cannot be ruled out.

Johnson said: "The turnstiles of our sports stadia will once again rotate."

Under step four of the roadmap, the government says it hopes to lift restrictions on large events from June 12.

Wembley is due to hold several matches in the delayed Euro 2020 championship in June and July, while there is also a summer of international cricket planned alongside Wimbledon.

Indoor events will be capped at 50 per cent capacity or 1,000, whichever is lower, and for outdoor events this will be 50 per cent capacity or 4,000, whichever is lower.

Pilots will also run to examine how such events can take place without the need for social distancing using other mitigations such as testing, the Government said.

The road map set out the lifting of restrictions in four steps. At each one, the success of the vaccine rollout, vaccine efficacy, the presence of variants and infection rates will be measured before deciding whether to take the next step.

The Prime Minister said there would be a minimum five-week gap between each step.

The easing of restrictions will happen on a nationwide, rather than a regional, basis.

In the second part of step one - not before March 29 - organised outdoor sports for children and adults can return, and outdoor sports facilities such as tennis and basketball courts can reopen.

At step two, which would be from April 12 at the earliest, use of indoor leisure facilities such as gyms for individuals or household groups will be possible.

All children will be able to attend any indoor children's activity in step two, including sport, regardless of circumstance, the Government's road map documents said.

Alongside the partial reopening of sports venues at step three, organised indoor adult sport will be possible.

Pilot events for the return of spectators are expected to begin as part of the Government's Event Research Programme from April.

These will use "enhanced testing approaches and other measures to run events with larger crowd sizes and reduced social distancing to evaluate the outcomes".

Findings from pilots across the sport and cultural sectors will be brought together to develop a "consistent approach" to removing capacity limits as part of step four - which would start no earlier than June 21.