LONDON (UK) – British Senior Cabinet Minister Michael Gove said on Tuesday that plans to allow a limited number of fans in sports stadiums from October 1 have been put on hold. This comes as new restrictions are introduced to tackle the second of coronavirus.
“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,” the minister told BBC TV.
“We’re looking at how we can for the moment pause that programme.
“We’ve been piloting some open air venues and we do want to be able in due course to allow people to return to watch football and other sporting events but it is the case that we just need to be cautious at the moment and I think a mass reopening at this stage wouldn’t be appropriate.”
In a bid to give sports a funding boost after the closure of all stadiums, the government was mulling to allow them to reopen from October 1 with 25-33% capacities.
Although the confirmation of the change of plan is expected later on Tuesday, there are reports that governing bodies of sports have agreed to it and are mulling to request the government for more financial succour.
The Rugby Football Union had hoped to allow 20,000 fans at Twickenham when England clash with the Barbarians on Oct. 25. But they have suspended ticket sales.
