Government Plans For Return to Stadium's Mean Saints Fans Will Miss Out Monday, 22nd Feb 2021 16:50 Under the latest plans set out by the Government to end lockdown, it looks like Saints fans could miss out with their final fixture of the season being away to West Ham United. Boris Johnson announced this afternoon that up to 10,000 sports fans could be back in stadia by mid-May as part of the government's plans to move England out of lockdown. It would come as part of step three of the four-stage plan laid out by PM Boris Johnson -by 17 May at the earliest. The government's plan outlines how up to 10,000 people or a quarter of the stadium's capacity - whichever is the lowest - would be allowed. It would mean, for example, any Premier League ground with a capacity of 40,000 or more could welcome 10,000 fans, while a smaller crowd, up to a quarter of the normal capacity, would be allowed in smaller venues. This would in effect allow around 8,000 fans into St Mary's "The turnstiles of our sports stadia will once again rotate," says Johnson. But it seems that the Prime Minister's announcement has a hollow ring about it. The date that restrictions would be lifted and fans allowed to return to stadium seems to be set as Monday 17th May, two days after the scheduled last home game of the season ironically against our next opponents Leeds United. This will mean that unless this game is selected for screening for the Monday evening, then we will not get the chance to return to St Mary's this season, if it is changed to that day, then we will become the first football match to be played. The final day of the Premier League season is set for the following Sunday, but the question is whether it would be fair to allow supporters back in the stadium on that final day if there is something on the outcome.. The final day sees Sheffield United V Burnley, Fulham V Newcastle & Leeds V West Brom for example, as the Premier League table stands at the moment Fulham V Newcastle could be a relegation decider, would it be fair to allow Fulham to suddenly have supporters back for this game. The Football League season is set to end a week earlier on May 8th, usually the first games of the play offs are the weekend after followed by a midweek fixture for the second leg, that would mean the first game would be before the May 17th date, but the second game after, again would it be fair to allow one side to have fans in the ground but the other to have not been allowed to be backed by their fans. It is great news that there is an end in sight and I welcome the news, but somewhere along the line no one in Government has actually discussed the fixture list and the implications of when the dates fall. Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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