The fans are back
Hungerford Town welcome supporters to Bulpit Lane again
HUNGERFORD Town welcomed supporters back to Bulpit Lane on Saturday for the first time this season.
The Crusaders had an attendance of 393 for their National League South clash with Dulwich Hamlet, which they lost 3-0.
The game with Dulwich marked 266 days since fans were able to watch a live football match, with the last one being against Bath City on March 14.
Club chairman Patrick Chambers and his wife Nicky, along with many members of the committee, put in a great deal of effort to ensure things ran smoothly for the return of supporters.
Mr Chambers said: “There was a lot of discussions with the FA, the league and the local council as we had to get a lot of things in place.
“We had to have an operational document signed off by the league and council and we had to have this completed 48 hours before kick-off.
“We also had to put in a oneway system in place to ensure that people didn’t cross the red zone – where the players and officials went – as they weren’t socially distancing because they’re competing in a sport.
“The club has had to go through some unusual times, but tickets sold quite well and we had 393 people there, which was a heartwarming number.
“We had done some of the work and some of the Covid protocols were in place, but we had a tight deadline to get everything finished.”
Working with Newbury company Stream Networks, the club were able to operate ticket sales online, as well as providing a live stream for those unable to make the game.
“There were no away fans, which was different, we had to go all-ticket and we had to develop a platform, which we did with stream networks.
“They have been brilliant and they work tirelessly to get the plug-ins on the website so we could sell tickets, and they have been responsible for streaming our matches.”
And with everything going according to plan, Mr Chambers believes it was a safe environment for everyone in attendance.
He said: “Everyone understood they had to watch a game under different circumstances, but I think they were glad that they could enjoy live football.”
Manager Danny Robinson expressed his gratitude to the club for making sure the game went ahead with supporters.
“I have to praise Nicky and Patrick for their hard work to make it Covid safe,” he said.
“With the tickets and other things going on, the hoops they have had to go through to get fans in here is phenomenal.”