UK Government under pressure as petition to bring fans back gains over 150,000 signatures

The UK Government has come under significant pressure to allow fans back into the stadiums after a petition, 'Allow football fans to attend matches at all levels' received over 150,000 signatures as of Wednesday morning, with the number continuing to rise. Ever since the suspension of football, games have been played behind closed doors with no fans in attendance. The 'Allow football fans to attend matches at all levels' motion has also received backing from the EFL, Premier League as well as a large number of clubs on social media, which has put the UK Government under pressure to allow fans back into stadiums. 

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UK Government to allow the return of football fans in stadiums? 

According to reports from the Daily Mail, the UK Government had initially planned to welcome a reduced crowd back at matches from October 1 onwards with a desire to limit the financial damage caused by the loss of matchday revenue. There was a huge concern for clubs further down the English leagues who are losing matchday revenue and might not be able to stay afloat due to the lack of finances. However, a rise in coronavirus cases in the UK led to the plan being put on hold despite several successful pilot events taking place at EFL matches.

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This has led to a number of football fans signing a petition to allow the return of fans in stadiums. The petition - Allow football fans to attend matches at all levels - was created in a bid to urge the UK Government to reconsider their decision and allow a small percentage of fans back. Countries like France and Germany have already begun allowing a small group of fans to return to football games inside stadiums, albeit under the COVID-19 protocols.

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Games in the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 have seen football fans in the stadiums while Premier League games are still being played with no fans in attendance. The 'Allow football fans to attend matches at all levels' petition was to be considered up for debate by MPs in the House of Commons if the motion received over 100,00 signatures. However, as of Wednesday morning, the petition, created by Ashley Greenwood, has received over 150,000 signatures with several clubs on social media also backing the motion. 

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COVID-19 UK crisis: Football fans return in jeopardy?

According to Worldometer, there were a total of 14.542 new cases of COVID-19 in the UK yesterday. There were also a total of 76 deaths recorded, taking the toll of coronavirus-related deaths up to 42,445. A total of nine cases of coronavirus also popped up in the Premier League in the latest round of testing.

Image Credits - AP