Crowds of up to 4,000 and grassroots sport to return after English lockdown
Crowds of up to 4,000 people will be allowed to return to sporting events in England from next week, and grassroots sport will also resume as part of an easing of coronavirus restrictions announced by the prime minister. The changes were greeted with widespread relief after weeks of concerted pressure from sporting bodies and the public, who had both argued the importance of being able to participate in sport during the pandemic and also of the ability to watch it safely.
England is to return to a system of tiered restrictions from 2 December but gyms, pools, golf courses and leisure facilities will now be allowed to open in all tiers after the government accepted their positive impact on physical and mental health
Crucial decisions on which locations will enter into which tier are not expected before Thursday. This means continuing uncertainty hangs over much of elite sport. Under the new rules, clubs or venues in tier 3 would not be able to admit any fans at all. Even at their most relaxed, measures will stop some way short of stemming the financial losses sustained since the original suspension in March.
Once the changes are implemented, 4,000 spectators would be allowed into outdoors events in tier 1 areas, or 50% of capacity depending on which is smaller. And 1,000 people would also be allowed to attend indoor events. In tier 2 that number will be capped at 2,000 and 1,000 indoors.
The R rate in most of England remains above 1 despite the national lockdown restrictions, and the prime minister warned that significant parts of the country are likely to fall into tier 3. “We expect more regions will fall at least temporarily into higher tiers than before,” he said.
The chief executive of Sport England, Tim Hollingsworth, said that having the opportunity to play sport during the pandemic was “more important than ever” as the country heads into winter.
“From the prime minister down, there is now a strong recognition of the vital benefits of playing sport and being active, not just for your physical wellbeing, but also crucially as a support for your mental health,” he said.
Nick Rust, the chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority, said the announcement was “more good news” following the extension of emergency loan funding to 11 sports by the government last week.“Our many millions of fans … have been unable to watch in person the sport they love since March,” he said. “We know the numbers are limited to begin with and not all venues will be allowed to admit spectators, but this is progress.”
The EFL also expressed its pleasure at the news. Lower league football clubs have been at the heart of a crisis over funding since the spring, one the government has said must be worked out by the sport itself. But even the return of small numbers of fans could have an impact on some clubs in League One and Two. With a full set of fixtures currently split either side of the 2 December change, the EFL is considering moving some matches back dependent on the government’s tiering decisions.
“Whilst today’s news is subject to regional restrictions, it is an important step in achieving a return to normal, alongside it being crucial to addressing the significant revenue gap left by a lack of spectators and other revenue streams as a result of the pandemic,” a spokesperson said.
Commenting on the new guidelines the culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, said the government was “taking a cautious approach” to the return of crowds. “I’m confident that sports will take every step to ensure their fans are safe, and fans will play their part and look out for each other until we can safely get everyone back in,” he said.
The prime minister said that the inconsistency which had allowed people to watch a film at the cinema but not a rugby match in a stadium, a frequent point of complaint for campaigners, had played into the change in approach.
One of the more vocal campaigners for the return of grassroots sport was the football pundit Robbie Savage. Writing on Twitter after the news was announced, he said: “We did it, thank you to everyone who pushed for the return of grassroots sports!”
The Labour party welcomed the return of grassroots activity but called for more details. “After a year of stopping and starting, gyms, leisure centres and local clubs need to be able to plan,” a spokesperson said. “The government must now set out the details for our daily lives and play its part in making sure everyone can enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of sport.”