Carabao Cup: Final between Tottenham & Man City to have 8,000 fans in stadium

[Leisure]

The Carabao Cup final between Tottenham and Manchester City will have 8,000 fans in attendance after it was confirmed as a pilot event to test the return of big crowds.

A proportion of tickets will be made available to both clubs for the game at Wembley Stadium on 25 April.

The rest will be given to local residents in Brent and NHS staff.

Rick Parry, chair of the English Football League (EFL), said it was an "important milestone".

On 18 April, the FA Cup semi-final between Leicester City and Southampton will have 4,000 fans while the final on 15 May will welcome 21,000 spectators.

Those games may also trial a Covid passport scheme, where passes would show if a person had been vaccinated, had a recent negative test, or natural immunity.

The matches are three of nine events across sports and the arts - which also includes the snooker World Championship - which will be used to provide "key scientific data and research" into how events can safely re-open to fans in line with the roadmap out of lockdown.

Researchers at the events will "gather evidence associated with different settings and approaches to managing and mitigating transmission risk".

Culture secretary Oliver Dowden said: "Our sports stars and great performers need us to find ways to get bums back on seats safely.

"This science-led pilot programme will be the springboard in getting the buzz back of live performance. We've supported the sports and arts with unprecedented sums, but it's now time to make that Great British Summer of live events a reality."

It had already been confirmed that the FA Cup final and semi-final would be test events but Sunday's announcement confirmed the number of fans to be permitted and the potential use of Covid passports.

The Carabao Cup final was rescheduled from February with the objective of having "as many supporters in attendance as possible".

Mark Bullingham, the FA's chief executive, said: "We are delighted to be hosting three test events at Wembley and are confident we can offer a safe environment.

"This is an important first step towards getting fans back, with the end goal of full stadia - hopefully by the end of the men's Euros [in July]. We would like to thank all authorities for their support throughout this process."

Football in England has been played behind closed doors since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, with the exception of a number of test events before the second lockdown later in the year.

Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust said it was unhappy there was no consultation with fans before the decision to allow fans at the Carabao Cup final was made, and about the lack of details around the announcement.

"This not only displays a complete disregard for the fans, it risks undermining the confidence needed in how the event is being conducted," it said in a statement.

[Leisure]

Just how Spurs and City allocate their very small allocations will be interesting!

[djemba-djemba]

Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust said it was unhappy there was no consultation with fans before the decision to allow fans at the Carabao Cup final was made, and about the lack of details around the announcement.

"This not only displays a complete disregard for the fans, it risks undermining the confidence needed in how the event is being conducted," it said in a statement.

In other words, the people who run the supporters club are upset because they won’t be getting their complimentary tickets for assisting with the discussions...

[Leisure]

In other words, the people who run the supporters club are upset because they won’t be getting their complimentary tickets for assisting with the discussions...

It was their Trust, not a supporters club and why would you think that they would expect complimentary tickets?

[tiger76]

No idea how they'll divvy up the tickets, but at least it's a promising sign that some spectators are able to attend events, yes the numbers are small naturally, but they've got to start somewhere haven't they.

[ClaretTony]

In other words, the people who run the supporters club are upset because they won’t be getting their complimentary tickets for assisting with the discussions...

That’s utter nonsense.

[cricketfieldclarets]

Great move. 8,000 on the road back to 80,000. Has to start somewhere. How it’s divvied up who cares.

[tiger76]

Great move. 8,000 on the road back to 80,000. Has to start somewhere. How it’s divvied up who cares.

Exactly! this can hopefully be the start of the long road back to full houses down the line.

[RammyClaret61]

Great move. 8,000 on the road back to 80,000. Has to start somewhere. How it’s divvied up who cares.

1,000 to each club, 6,000 EFL sponsors!

[Claretforever]

I don’t see the point in this at all.

To have less than 10% in the stadium means fans won’t be anywhere near each other. And I mean nowhere near. What’s the point of that?

Surely if they trust the vaccines they should test with a full house of vaccinated people, or at least with a sizeable proportion of vaccinated capacity to assess risk of spread?

By “test” I assume they must mean it’s for the organisers to make sure they haven’t forgotten how to manage an event?

[RammyClaret61]

I don’t see the point in this at all.

To have less than 10% in the stadium means fans won’t be anywhere near each other. And I mean nowhere near. What’s the point of that?

Surely if they trust the vaccines they should test with a full house of vaccinated people, or at least with a sizeable proportion of vaccinated capacity to assess risk of spread?

By “test” I assume they must mean it’s for the organisers to make sure they haven’t forgotten how to manage an event?

Got to agree with you. What’s to test, surely we’ve not forgotten how to control crowds. Also 8,000 is a very lot different from 40, 50, or 80,000.

It seems to be the same with everything. Safe standing, Germany have safely had rail seating for 30 years. Yet we’re still discussing if it’s safe and how it works.

[claretblue]

Just how Spurs and City allocate their very small allocations will be interesting!

fans with 6000 points or more;
available until 5:00pm Wednesday (on sale from 9:15am)

[cricketfieldclarets]

I don’t see the point in this at all.

To have less than 10% in the stadium means fans won’t be anywhere near each other. And I mean nowhere near. What’s the point of that?

Surely if they trust the vaccines they should test with a full house of vaccinated people, or at least with a sizeable proportion of vaccinated capacity to assess risk of spread?

By “test” I assume they must mean it’s for the organisers to make sure they haven’t forgotten how to manage an event?

Aye balls to it. Its nearly the centenary anyway. Lets just go full on white horse final!

[Quicknick]

I remember going to Warrington v St Helens in the FA Vase in 1987. 4,000 there. Quite an atmosphere, but the crowd wasn't spread out. Billy Rodaway was playing.

[Woodleyclaret]

I watched Wigan v Gills in a play off final it was a good atmosphere, but the next fan was 15 m away.A low crowd on, the Wigan minibuses didnt even fill the Wembley car park

[tiger76]

It's just great to finally have a football match with at least some semblance of an atmosphere, even if it is only 8,000 it's hopefully a small sign of normality returning sooner rather than later.

[tim_noone]

Absolutely dire football from 2 sides worth hundreds of millions ....ESL nominees and cant put the ball in the onion sack... Chris Wood was 3..0 up at halftime down at Molineux.

[Whitgord]

Must admit, if the crowd noises we are hearing are just the actual people present, then they are making quite an atmosphere. Well done them.