The Premier League prepares for the fans return on May 23rd
After months of absence, it is expected that a limited number of fans will be allowed to the stadiums to attend the final weekend of the Premier League.
United Kingdom Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, revealed that a limited number of fans will be allowed to attend sport events starting from May 17th after outlining his plan to reduce Covid-19 restrictions.
The fans have been prevented from appearing in stadiums since December, but Johnson, who clarified his plan in the House of Commons, believes matters could be kept under control by taking a gradual approach to reduce pandemic limitations.
Starting from May 17th both indoor and outdoor events will be held with the considerations of 50 per cent capacity while larger venues will be allowed to welcome up to quarter of their capacity.
Though fans will have little chance to witness sport events in May, they may be able to attend the final weekend of the
Premier Leagueon May 23rd as
Manchester Citywill aim to lift the domestic competition title at Etihad Stadium.
As reported by
Sky Sports Newsthe FA and EFL have been already trying to welcome back fans to FA Cup (May 15th) and Carabao Cup (April 25th) finals, which are set to take place at Wembley.
Regarding the matter an EFL spokesperson said:
"Following a successful fan pilot programme in the Autumn, the EFL and member clubs have shown test events for fans can be safely delivered with the appropriate measures in place.”
"With the Carabao Cup Final taking place on 25 April and the culmination of the regular EFL season on 8/9 May, we look forward to engaging with the Government about its pilot programme and will be working to welcome as many fans as possible to the Sky Bet Play-Off Finals which will conclude the 2020-21 season on the Spring Bank Holiday weekend."
The Football Association responded to the recent news, stating:
"The FA is absolutely delighted that fans will be allowed back soon.”
"The game is simply not the same without them and we look forward to the return of full stadia as soon as it is safe and possible."
The Prime Minister further confirmed that non-elite sport can also resume starting from March 29th with schools expected to reopen on March 8th. Other outdoor activities will also be allowed by reopening of outdoor sport facilities.
Following the recent decision made by Johnson, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) also demanded the reopening of indoor facilities, stating:
"It is also important that indoor facilities can reopen as soon as it is safe for them to do so. Many of the country's network of indoor tennis facilities have suffered real financial challenges so it is vital that we protect these community assets to avoid them closing permanently, and we are keen to work with Government on this."
The Rugby Football Union too released a statement, which read:
"We will work with DCMS on the Covid protocols for the community game, including the format of rugby that will be permitted in return to play," the statement read. "We also look forward to working with Government and other sports on the safe return of fans to stadiums."
The initial date for the use of any indoor facility is set to be on April 12th.
DISCLAIMER! Sportmob does not claim ownership of any of the pictures posted on this website. Again, we do not host pictures or videos ourselves. Our authors merely link to the rightful owner. Lastly, Sportmob have carefully considered and reviewed all of its content. Despite that, it is possible that some information might be out-dated or incomplete.