Fans back at Wembley
FA Cup semi-final to have 4,000 local supporters
A Wembley FA Cup semi-final is likely to be the first major footballing event to welcome back a crowd post-lockdown – but none of those attending will be fans.
Ministers are expected to opt for either Leicester v Southampton or Chelsea v Manchester City as a trial for locals in the borough of Brent to attend. A maximum gate of 4,000 has been mooted, but talks are taking place on how best to test numbers ahead of the May 15 final, when 20,000 will be allowed in.
Wembley has become the focal point for the return of fans this summer, with senior figures hopeful that numbers will then be scaled up further during Euro 2020.
A small locals-only crowd is being pencilled in for the Cup semi-final on April 17 or 18, which could then be potentially doubled for the Carabao Cup final the following week if more tests are deemed necessary.
Further crowd pilots are expected to be announced within days as ministers finalise plans to welcome back crowds of up to 10,000 at all major outdoor venues from May 17.
Sources underlined that earlier events would not be declared fan pilots as those attending, for the first match at least, would be neutral locals only. Senior figures within sport expect the vast majority of attendees – prior to May 17 – to be
avoiding “unnecessary” travel due to infection risk. An alternative for ministers is to combine a local-postcode allocation of neutral spectators with a smaller number of fans tested at their club home venues before being taken by bus to Wembley.
The Government and the Football Association are determined to avoid a scenario where, for example, Chelsea could be seen as having an unfair advantage, given their closer geographic proximity.
Stage four in Boris Johnson’s roadmap – first detailed last month – will be reached on June 21, with all legal limits on social contact removed. Oliver Dowden, the Culture
Secretary, has said pilots “will be crucial in finding ways to get fans and audiences back in safely without social distancing”.
With pubs set to be given powers to demand proof of vaccination, sport continues to liaise with ministers on the potential roll-out of digital-passport checks at venues.
Scientists “will be closely monitoring audience movements and interactions,” sources said. “There is a strong recognition that, come the late spring, we need to start getting back to life as we know it,” the insider added.
The Premier League is set to have 10,000 inside grounds for the final
two rounds of matches, as the penultimate fixtures are being delayed to midweek to remove any potential integrity issues. Concerns are understood to have been raised around the advantage for Fulham, for example, hosting Newcastle in a potential relegation decider. With that in mind, top-tier clubs will not be involved in test events in April to avoid giving any team an advantage as the season nears its critical period.
The English Football League said yesterday it was still hoping the Carabao Cup final between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur on April 25 would be a test event – but it had received no guidance yet.