Fans told why they can’t return
CULTURE Secretary Oliver Dowden admits he understands fans’ frustration at being barred from football stadiums, but says the decision is largely down to recommendations being made by the “scientific community”.
Hull City had planned to allow a limited number of supporters back into the KCOM Stadium for last month’s home clash with Crewe Alexandra, before the city council pulled the plug because of a rise in coronavirus cases.
Despite the government introducing a new three-tiered system in a bid to halt the nationwide surge, fans and football clubs across the country have pleaded with Dowden and his colleagues to allow small numbers to return.
Speaking to the Department for Digital, Culture and Sport (DCMS) committee yesterday, the minister for sport made it clear they won’t be returning any time soon, certainly until the rate of infection drops significantly, as he explained why fans continue to be locked out, though he stopped short of giving any detail as to what the “scientific community” actually says.
“The next phase was pilot games with social distanced spectators in stadia. I desperately wanted that to happen (go further than the pilots),” he said.
“Because of where we are with the rapid rise we have not been able to have that. The advice from the scientific community is that we should be imposing restrictions not further easing.
“We were ready to go. They were successful.
“We were ready to go from Oct 1. We had to pause it because of the rapid expansion of the disease.”
Dowden was also quizzed on why the London Palladium was allowed to host an indoor talk in with Arsene Wenger this week, while football stadiums around the country remain shut, and the Royal Albert Hall will welcome 3,500 spectators for an event before Christmas.
“It is not just the stadium. It is the journey, people want to have something to eat on the way,” he continued.
“That’s not to say that can’t be mitigated.
“We’d be increasing social interaction while imposing further restrictions.
“I want to rapidly return to this decision. We are ready to go when we get the starting gun fired.
“We got the Premier League and Championship up and running early on and got money back in the sport because of that.
“I don’t want to be stopping fans from going into stadiums but the reason we are doing it is for public safety from COVID.
“We have had to pause it because of where we are with the disease.”