The Premier League hopes to have fans back in stadiums within a month of the new season starting — but there are still many issues to overcome before we see supporters on top-flight terraces once again.
The coronavirus outbreak meant that the final two months of the 2019-20 Premier League season was played behind closed doors over the summer.
Liverpool were unable to enjoy their title success in front of a roaring Kop, while Aston Villa’s escape from relegation took place in an echoing stadium.
And while teams are already preparing for the upcoming campaign, which kicks off on 12 September, supporters will be forced to wait a little bit longer before they can return to stadiums — and even when they do, it will be at a reduced capacity at first.
As of the first week of September football in England is still working on how to admit supporters back into stadiums.
The summer has so far seen only one top-flight friendly game take place in front of fans. That was the 1-1 draw between Brighton and Chelsea, where 2,500 supporters socially distanced at the Amex Stadium, while Lewes Women and London Bees clashed at the end of August in front of 100 fans.
But two test games is not nearly enough. In reality we’re still a far way off full capacities at Old Trafford, Anfield and St James’ Park.
And all eyes now fall on Cambridge United, who have been granted the opportunity to welcome 1,000 fans for their EFL Trophy clash with Fulham U21s on 8 September, and an increase to 2,500 supporters for their opening League Two fixture against Carlisle four days later.
When will Premier League fans return?
Should the Cambridge United test events go well then Premier League clubs will hope to begin opening their doors to supporters as early as October.
Arsenal have confirmed a 3 October clash with Sheffield United as a possible return date for fans, based on the latest indications from the UK government.
However, they will restrict entry to those with high-tier season tickets and premium memberships.
Other Premier League clubs are waiting on the government to give guidance on how many supporters they can admit, before drawing up detailed plans.
And there are plenty of other headaches facing clubs if they are to be ready by the start of next month.
Full crowds at Premier League matches could be back as soon as October.
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Premier League issues to address
The key concern for matchday officials is social distancing, and how to ensure fans follow the guidelines before, during and after games.
Officials may choose to look to Denmark, where domestic games began admitting reduced numbers of supporters over the summer months. This was largely seen as a success, although the Danish Cup final had to be halted for 14 minutes after a group of AaB “ultras” refused to obey social distancing.
Implementing distancing procedures is one thing, but determining who will actually get to attend games is another.
The proportion of season ticket holders at Premier League clubs ranges from around 52% to 80%, depending on the club. Yet October capacities may only see a few thousand admitted at each ground, which means many season ticket holders will miss out.
One solution is to provide a ballot, where fans can apply to watch certain games. If they miss out on their first choice, they will move up the queue for their next choice, and so on.
Transport to stadiums could also be a headache for officials. Clubs whose grounds are “out of town” and therefore primarily accessible by car may benefit more than those in inner cities, where public transport is more regularly used.
As for away fans, Premier League clubs right now are prioritising getting their own supporters back into grounds. Like rugby union, there is little chance of away fans returning to games until next season.
Cricket and rugby open up
Outside of football, Premier League officials can look to both rugby and cricket for guidance around staging socially-distanced events.
Around 2,500 fans returned for the T20 Blast at The Oval this week as Surrey and Hampshire finally got the delayed season underway. That’s about 10 per cent of the maximum capacity and it was largely deemed a success. There are now plans for 8,000 supporters to watch the T20 Finals day at Edgbaston in October.
This Saturday sees Harlequins and Bath clash at The Stoop, with 3,500 season ticket holders set to watch the Premiership Rugby tie. The rugby season has already got back underway and more Premiership clubs are hoping to open their doors soon.
Yet these numbers are tiny compared to the season ticket holders Premier League clubs boast – and authorities aim to swiftly move from small groups to larger attendances within weeks.
Next steps
The Premier League needs the backing of the UK government to open its turnstiles. And the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is set to liaise with the Sports Grounds Safety Authority to determine if capacities can be safely expanded from there.
A decision is expected in the coming weeks.
Clubs also need to address additional concerns such as policing, stewarding and the presence of medical staff at top-flight games.
But, in a boost for professional football, the government appear set on local lockdowns as the way forward to tackle future Covid-19 spikes, which means another blanket ban on attendances like the one we saw this summer is unlikely.
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