Government under pressure to end fan ban after survey of spectators who attended pilot events

A common, sad sight at the moment as Manchester City host Arsenal in front of empty stands - PA
A common, sad sight at the moment as Manchester City host Arsenal in front of empty stands - PA

The Government was under renewed pressure to scrap its fan ban on Saturday, after a survey of spectators who attended pilot events drew overwhelmingly positive feedback.

Interviews with 1,821 people who watched live football, rugby, cricket, racing, snooker and basketball pilots staged between July 26 and October 3 revealed a “high trust in the event organisers to maintain their safety”.

Commissioned jointly by the University of Edinburgh, UK Sport and the Sports Grounds Safety Authority, the executive summary of the survey read: “Respondents reported feeling safe in the events and this was highly related to the belief that spectators would keep one another safe.

“On one hand, seeing others adhere to the safety guidance led to higher expectations that the crowd members would support one another to keep safe, which led to feeling that everyone was part of the same group, and therefore higher own adherence.”

It also highlighted how important respondents said the events had been “for mental health and mitigating the negative consequences of social isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic”.

Concerns over getting spectators to and from sporting events have been cited as one of the reasons behind pausing the pilot project and scrapping the planned October 1 return of crowds, but the survey found the majority of participants had travelled by car.

Responding to the survey, an English Football League spokesperson said: “Whilst we remain incredibly conscious of public feeling following an increase in Covid-19 cases and changes to local restrictions, the EFL does very much welcome the report, which is a further demonstration that EFL clubs can stage matches safely with supporters in attendance. Our clubs will always put the health and well-being of their supporters first.”

The Government on Saturday night reiterated its promise to review the fan ban at “the earliest opportunity” after a petition calling for football supporters to be allowed “to attend matches at all levels” failed to overturn it last week.