WARRIORS fans face the prospect of not being able to watch Premiership rugby in person “for perhaps six months” due to the tightening of Covid-19 restrictions.
Prime minister Boris Johnson announced a host of measures to address the quadrupling of daily cases, estimates only eight per cent of the population has antibody protection and hospital admissions for those infected doubling.
New lock/flanker for Warriors?
It had been the government’s target to begin allowing fans into professional sports stadiums on the back of pilot events, including the Premiership clash between Harlequins and Bath earlier this month which hosted 2,700 supporters, but the second wave of cases has shelved plans.
“We will have to extend the rule of six to all indoor adult team sports and finally we have to acknowledge the spread of this virus is affecting our ability to re-open business exhibitions, conferences and large sporting events," said the prime minister.
“We will not be able to do this from October 1 and I recognise the implications for our sports clubs which are the life and soul of our communities and the chancellor and culture secretary are working urgently on what we can do now to support them.”
To confirm today’s announcements
— Oliver Dowden (@OliverDowden) September 22, 2020
1.Sports
Unfortunately we cannot proceed with pilots with 1000 fans & the wider 1st Oct reopening with socially distanced fans
I understand the seriousness of the impact of this & am working with sports &govt colleagues on how we support them
He later added: “We will spare no effort in developing vaccines, treatments, new forms of mass testing but unless we palpably make progress we should assume the restrictions I have announced will remain in place for perhaps six months.”
No mention was made of the implications for semi-professional football clubs.
As things stand, clubs can allow up to 30 per cent of the lowest capacity permitted at their respective levels, whatever the size of the ground.
It means Worcester City must be limited to 300 supporters, while clubs like Bromsgrove Sporting can host 600.
It is unknown whether National League clubs will be deemed as professional under the guidance, although they were in the bracket of elite sport when it came to reintroducing fixtures behind closed doors to finish last season, something the rest of the non-league pyramid was unable to do.
Clubs at National League level can’t play without crowds. I suspect this season will not happen at all and that means lost livelihoods for those involved, lost clubs for communities.
— Jeff Stelling (@JeffStelling) September 22, 2020
One area of non-league football that is likely to be affected is clubhouses with hospitality venues told to close at 10pm and only offer table service as part of today's announcement.
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