Charlton Athletic hope to stage crowd test pilot at Doncaster home game on 19 September
- Published
Charlton were relegated back to League One on Wednesday, 14 months after winning promotion to the Championship
Charlton Athletic say their League One home game against Doncaster on 19 September could be a crowd pilot test, but require government approval first.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport decides which events can go ahead and the restrictions they can take place under in terms of capacity.
Cricket, racing and snooker have all staged test events to assess the safety aspect of a live attendance.
Government guidance suggests a possible October return of crowds.
"The club is likely to run a test event to allow some fans into The Valley for the first home game against Doncaster on 19 September, with full details to be announced once confirmed," Charlton said in a statement.
Organisations such as the English Football League, the Premier League and the Scottish Professional Football League have been in dialogue with relevant parties - including the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) - as they look to bring crowds back to matches as soon as is safely possible.
An EFL spokesperson said: "The EFL continues to work closely with DCMS and the Sports Grounds Safety Authority regarding proposals for pilot events to take place, with all EFL clubs having aspirations to allow the return of fans into stadiums as soon as it is safe to do so.
"As yet, all proposals await approval and therefore no further details can be provided."
Some test events, such as cricket's County Championship and racing at Goodwood, were scrapped after areas recorded spikes in coronavirus cases, although there was a small crowd allowed into the World Championship snooker final this past week as the ban was lifted.
In late-July, senior government advisor Professor James Calder warned the whole of the 2020-21 season, which begins on the 12 September, might yet be played before reduced crowds.
Protocols for returning to sport were drawn up by Public Health England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, along with advisers such as Prof Calder, and the sport's governing bodies.