Over 1,000 fans will attend NI's Euro play-off final against Slovakia at Windsor Park
- Published
Six-hundred fans attended NI's game against Austria at Windsor in October.
The Irish FA has confirmed that 1,060 fans will be permitted to attend Northern Ireland's Euro 2020 play-off final against Slovakia at Windsor Park.
Fans will be socially distanced around the 18,500 seater stadium in Belfast.
The IFA liaised with the NI Executive and scientific experts on the size of crowd that should be allowed inside the south Belfast venue for next Thursday's match.
Victory for the hosts would see them qualify for next summer's Euro finals.
After a Nations League match against Norway in September took place behind closed doors against Norway, 600 fans attended NI's game against Austria at Windsor in October.
"We have worked closely with the Minister for Communities, Caral Ni Chuilin, and her officials, as well as the team at Belfast City Council, to land on this number," said IFA chief executive Patrick Nelson.
"Our own staff have also played a significant role in this and we're delighted to have fans back at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park, in a safe and responsible setting, for one of our biggest games in recent times."
While it is believed the stadium is capable of holding a significantly larger crowd under strict social distancing, it is felt that just over 1,000 is a fair compromise given the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions and the significance of the match.
Ms Ni Chuilin, who previously urged sporting bodies to stop allowing crowds into matches due to Covid-19 health advice, said on Tuesday she wanted to make the game as "stress-free as possible".
A Department for Communities spokesperson said this evening: "The Minister's position remains that there should be no fans at any sports fixtures during the four-week circuit breaker set by the Executive.
"However she appreciates that the regulations allow some fans to attend elite fixtures where a risk assessment has been carried out and mitigations are in place."