Wimbledon and Euro 2020 poised to go ahead with capacity crowds
➤ Top British summer events could be played to full houses ➤ Return of spectators boosts chances of home Lions ‘tour’
Wimbledon and the latter stages of Euro 2020 could be played in front of capacity crowds under ambitious plans being worked on within the Government.
Boris Johnson’s roadmap towards abandoning social contact restrictions in venues from June 21 raises a best-case scenario of 90,000 fans for England’s final group game against Czech Republic.
Wembley chiefs will also push for 10,000 fans at the FA Cup final and up to 24,000 for England v Scotland at the Euros, after the Prime Minister gave the green light to Britain’s summer of sport.
Wimbledon, The Open at Royal St George’s, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone and Royal Ascot are also planning to welcome crowds after the Prime Minister announced that, from May 17, gates can finally open.
The first spectators could be back as soon as April with pilot events, including potentially the Carabao Cup final, as part of preparations for venues to open up to 10,000 from May 17.
Capacities are expected to increase further from June 21, with organisers of the threatened British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa increasingly attracted to staging it in the UK as a result of yesterday’s announcement. There were sugges tions last night that the Lions have made an official request to the Government to underwrite such a home tour this summer with a series against South Africa and that the response had been positive.
The Football Association will push for fans to be allowed at the FA Cup final despite it being scheduled two days before supporters are able to return, on May 15, and for Wembley to be at a quarter capacity for the clash between England and Scotland on June 18.
The fourth and final step of the
Government’s recovery plan aims to lift all restrictions on sports and entertainment events from June 21 at the earliest, “using enhanced testing approaches and other measures”, which are to be trialled at pilot events starting from April. Whitehall sources expressed “extreme caution” over the likelihood of full stadiums in late June, but recognised there was an ambition to scale up numbers rapidly.
The plan, announced in the House of Commons, also sees grassroots sport released fully from its shackles by May 17. As trailed yesterday, school sports return on March 8 and all organised outdoor grass roots will be back from March 29.
The Government now says gyms can reopen on April 12, with organised indoor sports – such as squash and badminton – returning by May 17, as the rule of six is reintroduced.
Yesterday’s announcement sees the return of fans in time to see this season’s Premier League winners receive their trophy, and is the beginning of the end of strangleholds that have caused billions of pounds worth of damage to sport.
The Daily Telegraph disclosed two weeks ago how the Prime Minister was plotting getting crowds back in time for the European Championship as well as Wimbledon.
Last night the Football Association said it was “absolutely delighted” by the announcement, but the Premier League said it will seek the opinion of clubs before formally reacting to the plans.it has been suggested relegation-threatened Newcastle, away to fellow strugglers Fulham on the last day, may have “integrity” issues with having home fans only back for the potentially crucial relegation clash. The club declined to comment.
The best-case scenario for scaling up numbers in June is in line with insiders detailing how Johnson had earmarked the Euros and Wimbledon as “crown jewels” of the summer. England play Czech Republic at Wembley a day after the Government hopes to start releasing “all legal limits on social contact” in the plan.
The semi-finals and the final of
Euro 2020 are due to be played at Wembley on July 6, 7 and 11, while Wimbledon starts on June 28. Following Johnson’s announcement, an FA spokesman said: “We are absolutely delighted and look forward to full stadia as soon as possible.”
The Football League hopes the Carabao Cup final on April 25 and the final round of regular season matches on May 8 and 9 could form part of the pilot programme, and said it hoped “as many fans as possible” could attend the divisional play-off finals at the end of May.
Manchester City, the runaway leaders, could lift the Premier League trophy in front of a home crowd against Everton on May 23. The decision is an even bigger boost for rugby union, with crowds returning to the Gallagher Premiership for the three remaining rounds of matches.
The FA Cup final on May 15 appears all but certain to be declared a test event as, under health and safety restrictions, the FA needs to ensure 10,000 people have tested new steps built to replace the ramp on Wembley Way. The Telegraph understands the test cannot take place for England’s two friendlies in June as the stadium will have already been handed over to Uefa in preparation for the tournament.
Prospects of the home unions staging the Lions tour against South Africa also took a step closer yesterday as a result of the announcement.
Keeping the tour in South Africa, where it will almost certainly be played behind closed doors, remains the default option, but there are increasing concerns about the effects of the South African Covid-19 strain which may be resistant to the Astrazeneca vaccine.
The Government has vowed to offer all Britons over 50 and all adults with underlying health conditions a first dose of the Covid vaccine by the spring. Scientists predict the mortality rate of the virus will fall by 99 per cent once these groups have been vaccinated. Rapid testing and potential proof of vaccination will play a central part in Government assessing whether they can increase crowd numbers in June and beyond.