From early December some lucky Premier League clubs had the privilege of allowing back fans at home games.
While some may question whether it was the adequate moment for doing so given the pandemic situation we are going through right now, others are extremely happy to get a taste of “normality,” at least in the football world.
Throughout this article, we are going to go over everything you need to know about the return of football fans to the stadiums, going from the restriction tiers system imposed by the UK government to the number of clubs who can currently host a reduced amount of fans.
Understanding the UK’s Restriction Tiers
Before getting to the tier systems, we need to warn you that this is only a brief explanation for all restrictions that are directly related to football in the Premier League.
Apart from the restrictions we are about to mention, there are tons of others, and in case you would like to know more about general restrictions in the United Kingdom, we recommend you to check their official government website.
Tier 1
Tier 1 areas are the ones on “Medium Alert” based on the recent covid number of cases and death toll. Football-wise, there is no club whatsoever based in any Tier 1 areas.
If the Greater Manchester area was under Tier 1, for example, both Manchester United and City could host up to 4,000 fans back to their stadiums.
As this is not the current case with any Premier Club, none of them can host the maximum number of allowed fans as determined by the government.
Tier 2
Tier 2 areas are described as “High Alert”, and although general restrictions for such areas are stricter than the ones for Tier 1 areas, it is still possible for fans to attend stadiums.
However, the number of 4,000 fans is halved down to 2,000 and, as previously stated, there are no clubs under Tier 1 areas. Every club that can welcome fans back to their stadiums are currently under Tier 2 areas.
It is important to note that the few fans who are currently attending games at stadiums are always getting tested, wearing masks inside the grounds, and keeping the established social distance.
Tier 3
This is where your club doesn’t want to be, as currently, Tier 3 areas are called “Very High Alert” areas. A good part of the UK is under Tier 3 areas right now, and no fans whatsoever are allowed into stadiums.
It is always important to say that the decision to move areas along the currently established tiers is solely upon the United Kingdom government and we highly recommend you – even if you are not living in the UK – to check tier areas at least a few times throughout the week, as they may vary according to how areas are doing when fighting the pandemic.
How Many Clubs Can Welcome Back Fans At Their Home Stadiums?
Out of the 20 Premier League clubs, currently, only ten are in conditions to host fans back at their home grounds. These are clubs who are based in Tier 2 areas, and thus, can host up to 2,000 fans based on the system that was briefly explained above.
Currently, these ten clubs are every six London-based clubs, both Liverpool-based clubs, and also Southampton and Brighton, who are both based in the South East area of England.
That basically means that out of the big-six clubs, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Spurs can host up to 2,000 supporters at their stadiums.
However, this situation changed on the 16th of December, as the Greater London area moved from Tier 2 to 3, meaning that all six London-based clubs lost the hosting privilege – including Arsenal, Chelsea, and Spurs.
Obviously, this situation could change abruptly, and Liverpool and Everton could move to Tier 3 at the same time the Manchester duo moved back to Tier 2, which would make the situation quite the opposite of what we are going through right now.
Could These Measures and Tier Systems Benefit Any Club in the Premier League?
Maybe. It all depends on what club we are talking about. Liverpool are traditionally a club who are almost unbeatable at home, and a massive part of it is due to their supporters, who are often their 12th player.
So, in the current scenario, with London-based clubs moving to Tier 3 and thus not being able to welcome fans anymore, while Liverpool will still be able to, it will perhaps benefit the Reds – for a while, as everything could change overnight.
At the same time, however, every team in the title race have spent basically the whole season playing games behind closed doors, so most of the points were conquered with no fans at the stadiums.
