Premier League clubs received a big boost on November 23 as the United Kingdom government has announced that at most 4000 fans will be allowed in Stadium from December 2. The country is currently in the second lockdown phase, but it is expected to end by the first week of December. Along with the Premier League, fans will also be allowed to watch EFL games and international games in the UK.
The distribution of fans is set to be based on the tier system that the government has implemented to know the extent of the spread of the virus in different cities. In clubs situated in tier one regions, 4000 fans will be allowed to watch games, while tier two regions will have at most 2000 fans in the stadium. The clubs in tier three areas will have to continue with games behind closed doors.
It is a massive boost to clubs in England as they will finally get some sort of matchday revenue. Several clubs have recorded huge losses due to lack of matchday revenue since March. The English clubs have been playing behind closed doors since June when Project Restart was initiated by the Premier League after three months of lockdown.
Along with getting some financial relief, bringing fans back in the stadium also brings back the sporting edge for home teams. The clubs have been working on several initiatives that will help fans get involved with the team from their home. However, having them in the stadium creates a completely different atmosphere for the games.
The Bundesliga in Germany had already started bringing in fans to the stadium since the start of the 2020/21 season, while UEFA also had a trial event during the Supercup game between Bayern Munich and Sevilla in Budapest. Premier League will be hoping to pull off this initiative so that clubs can slowly bring in more fans. The complete guidelines for the execution of this plan are likely to be announced by clubs when the government makes an official announcement.