The Football Association has issued a statement welcoming a Government update on when fans may be allowed back in to football stadiums. Games have been played behind closed doors since the Covid-19 outbreak earlier this year. A release from the Department for Culture Media and Sport on Friday, 17 July, announced pilots for return of spectators to elite sports events.

The DCMS statement can be seen in full here. It states that a small number of sporting events will be used to pilot the safe return of spectators through late July and early August – with a view to reopen competition venues for sports fans, with social distancing measures in place, from October 2020. The pilot events will provide the opportunity to stress-test the Government’s ‘stage five’ guidance, on the return of fans to elite sports events.

The FA has described the statment as a positive update. The governing body stated it, along with football partners, can step up our efforts to get fans back into stadiums as soon as possible. The FA has stated it will continue to work closely with the relevant authorities on how we can bring them back in a safe and secure manner, including any help we can provide to the proposed pilot events. The full FA statement can be seen here.