Sturgeon to make big call on fans in grounds
SCOTTISH sport will find out today if Nicola Sturgeon will follow the Prime Minister’s lead in outlining the roadmap out of lockdown — including the return of fans. The First Minister said yesterday that her and Boris Johnson’s plans will be ‘broadly similar’, although it remains to be seen if the Scottish Government will go as far as their UK counterparts. Crowds of up to 10,000 could be back in English stadiums from May 17. However, towards the end of last year, Sturgeon was reticent in giving the go-ahead for football and rugby to have fans back in grounds in any great numbers, despite a number of successful test events being held. With the regular Scottish Premiership season due to finish by May 16 and the Scottish Cup currently in limbo, any similar date to England would not have a significant impact on club football in the short term. It could, however, provide a green light for the prospect of
fans attending Scotland’s two Euro 2020 matches at Hampden, where Steve Clarke’s men face the Czech Republic on June 14 and Croatia on June 22. Those games sandwich a trip to meet England at Wembley on June 18, which is covered by Johnson’s announcement yesterday. English venues will initially be limited to 10,000 or 25 per cent of capacity — whichever is smaller. That will be reviewed as part of government plans for life to return to normal on June 21.
Should that transpire, limits may then be removed but sources state it is ‘highly unlikely’ that the remaining Wembley matches in the Euros would operate at full capacity. It is hoped that 24,000 will be permitted to watch England’s match with Scotland. While there remains a reluctance to admit to it, it is also unlikely that fans of visiting nations will be given tickets. The return of supporters in England could start as early as April — with a series of pilot events set to take place as part of a Government-run Events Research Programme.
The FA Cup final is scheduled two days before May 17 but may still be watched by a crowd, with the FA hoping to have one or two matches at Wembley as test events ahead of the Euros. The EFL is hoping that the Carabao Cup final, on April 25, will be among those fixtures selected and is also keen on seeing fans at its play-off matches. ‘The turnstiles of our sports stadia will once again rotate,’ said Johnson. Meanwhile, Johnson’s announcement means the other big events of the summer, including Wimbledon, The Open, and the British Grand Prix, may all be attended by spectators. Wimbledon is due to start on June 28 while Formula One’s British Grand Prix takes place at Silverstone on July 18. In horse racing, the mid-May date opens up the possibility of a small crowd at the Oaks and Derby at Epsom (June 4-5). The possibility of removing capacity limits from June 21 would come after Royal Ascot has finished. The date pencilled in for non-essential retail re-opening is April 12 — two days after the Grand National, meaning betting shops will still be closed at the time of the big race.