THERE could be up to 4,000 fans in attendance for the FA Cup Final – even though it is TWO DAYS before supporter restrictions are lifted.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed on Monday as part of the roadmap out of lockdown that 10,000 spectators could be allowed back into stadiums for sporting events from May 17.
There could be at least 4,000 fans in attendance for the FA Cup Final in MayCredit: Getty
UK fans can start looking forward to a bumper summer of sport
The Wembley showpiece takes place on May 15 – but football now has the green light to host expansive test events in April ahead of the planned reopening of grounds.
Whitehall chiefs held talks yesterday regarding pilot events and hope to release a schedule in the coming weeks.
Despite hopes of getting 10,000 in for the Cup Final, a figure the FA will apply for, the governing body feel that a figure between 2,000 and 4,000 is more likely.
The FA are desperate for the showpiece to be played in front of fans.
However, they are unable to switch the date of the spectacle because of the upcoming Euros.
They are due to hand the Wembley keys over to Uefa shortly after the game ahead of the tournament, although the EFL play-offs are scheduled for the end of May.
But the final will provide an opportunity to test the new facilities ahead of the Euros.
A test event with 10,000 fans needs to take place to demonstrate the safety of the stadium following recent structural and landscaping changes around the famous stadium.
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England’s first group game is against Croatia on June 13, which means it still falls under the 10k capacity limit on the roadmap timeline.
That means that match could be used as the test event.
Although FA chiefs would prefer to test out the facility prior to that.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
