Wembley to welcome back fans as part of Covid passport scheme
The Carabao Cup final, the second FA Cup semi-final and the FA Cup final will serve as Wembley pilot events for the government’s ‘Covid status certification’ scheme.
The plan is to enable the safe return of mass gatherings andindooreventsaslockdown restrictions ease in England, withofficialspreparingaseries of trial events over the coming months as they look to find a way for fans to return to sporting venues.
The FA Cup semi-final between Leicester and Southamptonatthenationalstadium onApril18willseefootballfans return for the first time since December, with 4,000 fans able to attend.
Manchester City face Tottenham in the Carabao Cup final seven days later with 8,000 fans watching and the monthlong scheme will conclude with the FA Cup final on May 15, when 21,000 fans will be attending.
The World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield – running from April 17 to May 3 – is the first sporting event to be included in the trial and will have 1,000 spectatorsperday,whilethere will also be three mass participation runs at Hatfield House on April 24 and 25, with 3,000 runners and a further 3,000 spectators.
Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham hopes the test events can lead to there being full stadiums at this summer’s European Championship. He said: “We are delighted to be hosting three test events at Wembley and are confident we can offer a safe environment.
“This is an important first steptowardsgettingfansback, with the end goal of full stadia – hopefully by the end of the
Men’s Euros.”
English Football League chairman Rick Parry added: “The Carabao Cup is a prized asset of the EFL, a great competition for clubs to win and always a fantastic occasion so we are absolutely delighted to see supporters back for the showpiece final between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, in what will hopefully be another important milestone along the way to a full return of fans.”
In developing the scheme, officials will take into account threefactors–whetheranindividualhasreceivedthevaccine, hasrecentlytestednegativefor the virus, or has “natural immunity”havingtestedpositive intheprevioussixmonths.The NHSisworkingonwaysofproviding people with the means todemonstratetheirCovidstatus through “digital and nondigital routes”.