Fairways and courts to open as football fans wait

Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday relaxed the coronavirus lockdown and announced a returned to new tiered status for England.

However, fans of Wolves, Albion, Villa and Saddlers must wait until Thursday to hear which tier their club’s geographical area is in before finding out whether fans will be able to return to those grounds.

Before the latest lockdown was announced, the West Midlands boroughs were all in tier two status – although it was thought stricter tier three status was close.

Now the government has announced that if outdoor venues are in tier one areas – areas adjudged to be at the lowest risk – up to 4,000 spectators or 50 per cent of capacity will be allowed in to watch games, whichever figure is lower.

Tier two areas will be allowed to host 2,000 fans or 50 per cent of capacity, whichever is lower. In tier three areas, the highest risk zones, clubs will not be able to allow in any fans.

The English Football League, whose clubs have been hit hard by the loss of matchday revenue since March, led the way in welcoming the decision.

“Whilst the news is subject to regional restrictions, it is an important step in achieving a return to normal, alongside it being crucial to addressing the significant revenue gap left by a lack of spectators and other revenue streams as a result of the pandemic,” a statement from the league read.

Premiership Rugby chief executive Darren Childs joined the EFL in viewing the news as a positive step in the right direction.

His organisation is set to receive £59million in Government support to cover matchday losses as part of the Winter Survival Package for sports.

“Our clubs have proved that when it is safe to do so they can bring fans back safely, with very successful pilot events at Harlequins and Gloucester Rugby,” Childs said.

“We won’t know the exact impact on our clubs until the tiers are announced on Thursday, so my team stands ready to work with government to tackle the challenges of fan attendance in a way that minimises health risks.”

Group activities such as training sessions and exercise classes can take place in larger numbers, provided that people are in separate groups of no more than six, and do not mix.

In tier two, indoor sports can be done within household groups, or in larger organised groups like exercise classes as long as there is no mixing between households.

Sports which do not involve close proximity or physical contact against one person from another household, such as a singles tennis match or badminton match, will also be permitted.

In tier three, indoor sport will be restricted to within your household only, and there should be no group activity such as exercise classes.