Loneliest man in Hampden: Skipper’s despair as Scots crash out
Scotland skipper Andrew Robertson can’t hide his dejection as his team ended their participation in Euro 2020 at Hampden Park in Glasgow last night – the underdog Scots unable to repeat their heroics of Friday night against England as they lost 3-1 to Croatia and finished last in their section
More than 60,000 fans will be allowed to attend the semifinals and final of Euro 2020 at Wembley if they have a negative Covid-19 test or prove they are double vaccinated.
The government announced yesterday that capacity for the closing matches at the northwest London stadium has been increased to 75 per cent, which could see some of the largest crowds in the UK since the start of the pandemic.
All ticket holders will be required to have a negative coronavirus test or provide proof of two doses of a vaccine 14 days before a game.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: "As we continue to make progress on our road map out of lockdown, keeping the public safe remains our top priority.
"We have worked extremely closely with Uefa and the FA to ensure rigorous and tight public health measures are in place whilst allowing more fans to see the action live.
"The finals promise to be an unforgettable moment in our national recovery from the pandemic."
The UK government and Uefa have been locked in talks over the final stages of the tournament due to issues around coronavirus travel restrictions.
Uefa is thought to be pushing for 2,500 VIPS to attend the final on July 11 without being subjected to the quarantine requirements that apply to other international travellers.
A UK source said the talks had been "positive" and that "final details are being worked through" but ministers have indicated that some restrictions would remain in place.
Reports had suggested the final could be moved to Budapest if a deal cannot be reached and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has also said that Rome could provide an alternative venue.
But in a statement, Uefa said: "Uefa, the English FA and the English authorities are workexecutive, ing together successfully to stage the semi-finals and final of Euro 2020 in Wembley and there are no plans to change the venue for those games."
Following the attendance announcement, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the matches "will show that when it comes to great sporting events, London simply cannot be beaten".
He added: "It is really important that Londoners continue to stick to the rules throughout the tournament and get tested for Covid regularly and take both doses of the vaccine as soon as they are offered."
Mark Bullingham, FA chief said: "We hope that this programme lays the foundation for the safe return of fans in stadiums all across the country next season."
The matches will form part of the government's events research programme (ERP) which has seen test events held at sporting, music and other venues to assess the impact of crowds on Covid-19 infection rates.
The announcement comes just a day after Covid-19 restrictions in England were hoped to be further lifted, before the Prime Minister pushed this back by up to four weeks amid concern over the Delta variant.
It meant ongoing curbs on other events in England, such as weddings where the size of a guest list now depends on how many people a venue can safely accommodate.