Britain could delay plans to allow sports fans back into stadiums

Spectators were allowed into the stadium in July at a cricket match between Surrey and Middlesex at The Oval to test coronavirus measures.

A fan holds beers as he attends the Surrey vs Middlesex cricket match in London recently. After banning spectators fearing the spread of the virus, the British Government has once again allowed fans to witness some pilot events.

Britain is looking at delaying plans to allow a controlled return of fans into stadiums from October 1, senior cabinet minister Michael Gove said on Tuesday as new restrictions are brought in to tackle a second wave of COVID-19 in the country.

“It was the case that we were looking at a staged programme of more people returning, it wasn't going to be the case that we were going to have stadiums thronged with fans,” Gove told BBC TV when he was asked if the October 1 plan would go ahead.

“We're looking at how we can for the moment pause that programme.”

 

Premier League, one of the biggest football tournaments in Britain, had last requested the government to stick to the original date of October to avoid losses by playing closed doors.

The government last week restricted pilot events to 1,000 spectators after a spike in COVID-19 cases, and said it would review the date for when fans could enter stadiums.

Spectators were allowed into the stadium in July at a cricket match between Surrey and Middlesex at The Oval.