Boris Johnson Confirms Plans for Premier League & EFL Fans to Return to Games in October

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced plans that will see fans return to Premier League and EFL stadiums from October, around a month into the 2020/21 season. It forms part of the government's wider plan to restore 'significant normality' to every day life by Christmas 2020.

Fans have been unable to attend football matches and other sporting events since March as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and there had previously been concerns that the chance of people returning to games before the end of 2020 were slim.

However, Johnson confirmed on Friday morning that the government hopes to make it possible for supporters to begin returning to stadiums in three months' time.

Things won’t be back to normal immediately though, as it must still be done in what is described as a ‘covid secure way’, and will also be subject to successful test events being completed.

"We will pilot larger gatherings in venues like sports stadiums with a view to a wider reopening in the autumn. From October we intend to bring back audiences in stadiums," Johnson said.

But he crucially clariifed that in addition to the return of other larger scale event, "...these changes must be done in a Covid-secure way, subject to the successful outcome of pilots."

It also means the return of fans to Women's Super League and Women's Championship games. Unlike the Premier League and EFL Championship, women's football has not so far been resumed as the the 2019/20 season was abandoned relating to the difficulties that surrounded restarting.

Premier League fans have been used to having access to every game live on television while stadiums have remained closed. But even though fans will not start returning until October – it is still unclear how full stadiums will be once re-opened – the normal broadcast model will be re-adopted from the start of next season.

That means potentially around a month at the start of the campaign where some supporters will have no live access to their club’s games whatsoever.

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