‘Definitely a chance’ of spectators being back
UK Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has said there is “definitely a chance” of spectators being back in venues ahead of Christmas.
Speaking on the potential of fans returning by Christmas on talkSPORT yesterday, Dowden said: “There is definitely a chance of it. We are in close discussions with the centre of Government about what we could do as we go back into the tiering system.
“There’s a possibility in the lowestrisk areas to open the door ajar a little bit, start to prove in the lowest-risk areas that we could make this work then I’d love for us to be able to do that.”
Dowden’s quotes came on a day when a combined £300million cash injection to 11 sports hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic was announced.
The support will largely be in the form of loans, the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said.
Rugby union in England will receive the biggest single amount – £135m. Of that, £44m will go to the Rugby Football Union, £59m to Premiership Rugby clubs, £9m to clubs in the Championship and £23m to clubs below the Championship.
Horse racing will receive £40million to support racecourses unable to welcome visitors.
Football’s National League at steps one and two – which has already benefited from £10m in National Lottery funding to assist through to the end of 2020 – will receive a further £11m to cover the period between January and the end of March.
Steps three to six of the pyramid will receive £14m, while the Women’s Super League and Championship have been awarded £3m.
The Rugby Football League will benefit to the tune of a further £12m, topping up the £16m announced in May to safeguard rugby league’s future. Owners and operators of major motorsports circuits will receive a combined £6m, the Lawn Tennis Association will get £5m and England Netball will receive £2m.
Basketball, ice hockey, badminton and greyhound racing’s losses have been covered to the tune of a combined £11m.
The package does not cover men’s professional football, despite the welldocumented financial difficulties of EFL clubs.
That is because the Government expects the Premier League to provide financial support. Negotiations continue over a rescue package from the top flight to support the 72 clubs in the three divisions below.
Cricket was not included in the announcement. It is understood that is because the ‘Winter Survival Package’ is focused on sports which should be welcoming in spectators right now.
The Government had hoped to allow spectators to return to venues on a socially-distanced basis from October 1, but it delayed those plans after a rise in coronavirus infections nationwide.