Coronavirus tiers: Which clubs can have fans back after England lockdown ends?
- Published
Liverpool's Anfield stadium has not been able to welcome fans inside since before the club lifted last season's Premier League title
England's regional tiers have been announced, for when the national lockdown ends on 2 December.
It means some football clubs can welcome limited numbers of spectators back into their grounds.
Arsenal have confirmed they will be the first Premier League club to have home fans at Emirates Stadium, for their Europa League tie with Rapid Vienna on 3 December.
The first Premier League fixture to welcome fans could be West Ham v Manchester United on 5 December, before Chelsea take on Leeds later that evening.
Six English Football League matches could see the return of fans on 2 December with Luton, Wycombe, Charlton, Shrewsbury, Cambridge and Carlisle all placed in tier two.
In tier one, a maximum of 4,000 fans will be allowed at outdoor events - though no clubs are currently there.
Up to 2,000 people will be allowed in tier two areas but none in tier three.
Organised grassroots sport will be able to resume, and gyms and leisure centres can reopen across all tiers.
Tiers will be reviewed every two weeks.
So, where does your club fit and when can fans return?
Premier League
Arsenal - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Rapid Vienna (3 Dec), Burnley (13 Dec), Southampton (16 Dec)
Aston Villa - Tier 3
Brighton & Hove Albion - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Southampton (7 Dec)
Burnley - Tier 3
Chelsea - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Leeds (5 Dec), Krasnodar (8 Dec)
Crystal Palace - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Tottenham (13 Dec)
Everton - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Chelsea (12 Dec)
Fulham - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Liverpool (13 Dec), Brighton (16 Dec)
Leeds United - Tier 3
Leicester City - Tier 3
Liverpool - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Wolves (6 Dec), Tottenham (16 Dec)
Manchester City - Tier 3
Manchester United - Tier 3
Newcastle United - Tier 3
Sheffield United - Tier 3
Southampton - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Sheffield Utd (13 Dec)
Tottenham Hotspur - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Arsenal (6 Dec), Royal Antwerp (10 Dec)
West Bromwich Albion - Tier 3
West Ham United - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Man Utd (5 Dec), Crystal Palace (16 Dec)
Wolverhampton Wanderers - Tier 3
Championship
AFC Bournemouth - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Huddersfield (12 Dec), Wycombe (15 Dec)
Barnsley - Tier 3
Birmingham City - Tier 3
Blackburn Rovers - Tier 3
Brentford - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Blackburn (5 Dec), Derby (9 Dec)
Bristol City - Tier 3
Cardiff City - spectators are not permitted at any sporting events in Wales
Coventry City - Tier 3
Derby County - Tier 3
Huddersfield Town - Tier 3
Luton Town - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Norwich (2 Dec), Preston (12 Dec)
Middlesbrough - Tier 3
Millwall - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Derby (5 Dec), QPR (8 Dec)
Norwich City - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Sheffield Wednesday (5 Dec), Nottingham Forest (9 Dec)
Nottingham Forest - Tier 3
Preston North End - Tier 3
Queens Park Rangers - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Reading (12 Dec), Stoke (15 Dec)
Reading - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Nottingham Forest (5 Dec), Birmingham (9 Dec), Norwich (16 Dec)
Rotherham United - Tier 3
Sheffield Wednesday - Tier 3
Stoke City - Tier 3
Swansea City - spectators are not permitted at any sporting events in Wales
Watford - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Cardiff (5 Dec), Rotherham (8 Dec), Brentford (15 Dec)
Wycombe Wanderers - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Stoke (2 Dec), Coventry (12 Dec)
League One
Accrington Stanley - Tier 3
AFC Wimbledon - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Bristol Rovers (5 Dec)
Blackpool - Tier 3
Bristol Rovers - Tier 3
Burton Albion - Tier 3
Charlton Athletic - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: MK Dons (2 Dec), Wimbledon (12 Dec), Bristol Rovers (15 Dec)
Crewe Alexandra - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Northampton (12 Dec), Plymouth (15 Dec)
Doncaster Rovers - Tier 3
Fleetwood Town - Tier 3
Gillingham - Tier 3
Hull City - Tier 3
Ipswich Town - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Portsmouth (12 Dec), Burton (15 Dec)
Lincoln City - Tier 3
Milton Keynes Dons - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Norwich City U21 (8 Dec), Burton (12 Dec), Peterborough (15 Dec)
Northampton Town - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Doncaster (5 Dec)
Oxford United - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Hull (5 Dec), Forest Green (8 Dec), Northampton (15 Dec)
Peterborough United - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Rochdale (12 Dec)
Plymouth Argyle - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Ipswich (5 Dec)
Portsmouth - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Peterborough (5 Dec), Fleetwood (15 Dec)
Rochdale - Tier 3
Shrewsbury Town - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Accrington Stanley (2 Dec), Charlton (5 Dec), Lincoln (8 Dec)
Sunderland - Tier 3
Swindon Town - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Fleetwood (12 Dec)
Wigan Athletic - Tier 3
League Two
Barrow - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Salford City (5 Dec)
Bolton Wanderers - Tier 3
Bradford City - Tier 3
Cambridge United - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Mansfield (2 Dec), Oldham (5 Dec), Gillingham (8 Dec), Colchester (15 Dec)
Carlisle United - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Salford City (2 Dec), Stevenage (12 Dec), Mansfield (15 Dec)
Cheltenham Town - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Exeter (5 Dec), Portsmouth (8 Dec), Bolton (15 Dec)
Colchester United - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Grimsby (5 Dec)
Crawley Town - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Barrow (12 Dec), Bradford (15 Dec)
Exeter City - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Northampton (8 Dec), Tranmere (12 Dec), Harrogate (15 Dec)
Forest Green Rovers - Tier 2 , up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Cambridge (12 Dec)
Grimsby Town - Tier 3
Harrogate Town - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Forest Green (5 Dec)
Leyton Orient - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Bristol Rovers (8 Dec), Newport (12 Dec)
Mansfield Town - Tier 3
Morecambe - Tier 3
Newport County - spectators are not permitted at any sporting events in Wales
Oldham Athletic - Tier 3
Port Vale - Tier 3
Salford City - Tier 3
Scunthorpe United - Tier 3
Southend United - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Scunthorpe (12 Dec), Grimsby (15 Dec)
Stevenage - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Southend (5 Dec)
Tranmere Rovers - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Walsall (5 Dec), Stevenage (15 Dec)
Walsall - Tier 3
What about the Women's Super League?
Eight of the 12 teams in England's top women's league play their home matches in locations that will be in tier two, and therefore could welcome up to 2,000 fans.
However, two - Bristol City and Everton - play in stadiums which have a capacity for fewer than 4,000 spectators, and therefore will be limited to fewer than 2,000 fans because the cap at 50% of their capacity is smaller than 2,000.
The city of Bristol has been placed into tier three, but Bristol City Women play their home matches at Twerton Park in Bath, which will be in tier two. It remains unclear whether any Robins fans who live in Bristol will be permitted to travel to those games.
Arsenal - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Birmingham (6 Dec),
Aston Villa - Tier 3
Birmingham City - Tier 3
Brighton & Hove Albion - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Chelsea (13 Dec).
Bristol City - Tier 2, up to approximately 1,700 fans allowed (50% of the capacity of Twerton Park). Forthcoming home fixtures: Aston Villa (9 Dec), West Ham (13 Dec).
Chelsea - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: West Ham (6 Dec).
Everton - Tier 2, up to 1,100 fans allowed (approximately 50% of the capacity of Walton Hall Park). Upcoming home fixtures: Man City (6 Dec).
Manchester City - Tier 3
Manchester United - Tier 3
Reading - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Bristol City (6 Dec), Man Utd (13 Dec).
Tottenham Hotspur - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. Forthcoming home fixtures: Brighton (6 Dec), Aston Villa (13 Dec).
West Ham United - Tier 2, up to 2,000 fans allowed. No scheduled home league games until 20 Dec, which is after the situation will have been reviewed.
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What has the reaction been?
It remains unclear whether fans will be able to move between tiers to watch their team. The Football Association says it is having "ongoing dialogue" with the government, which includes discussions on guidance on travel between tiers.
Clubs are now reviewing their season ticket processes and will have to determine how the 2,000 home tickets are allocated.
Everton say they will contact fans in coming days with regards to a ballot for their home game against Chelsea on 12 December.
"The club's objective is to enable as many fans as possible to attend games, whilst prioritising the health and safety of fans and staff," an Everton statement said on Thursday.
Bristol Rovers, in League One, have been placed in tier three, but the club's chief executive Martyn Starnes said: "We are pressing the authorities to allow us to at least accommodate all of our season ticket holders as soon as possible but it's almost certain we will need to stage one or more "test" events at a lower capacity before that will be permitted."
League Two's Cambridge United say all season ticket holders will be able to attend their fixtures as well as a "small number of non-season ticket holders".
"The club will be working to a Covid-safe stadium capacity" according to chief executive Ian Mather.
Salford City boss Richie Wellens says under normal circumstances allowing only some clubs to have home support would seem "unfair", but added: "I think we've got to the point we just don't care - we want supporters back in and life back to normal as quick as possible, so if that means we play in front of nobody then go to - let's say an Exeter and they have supporters in - so be it."
What about other sports and events?
The Rugby Football Union has confirmed 2,000 fans will be allowed to attend the final Autumn Nations Cup match on 6 December.
"Twenty percent of the seats for the game will be gifted to local NHS workers, the remaining will be for the players' families, local rugby clubs, sponsors and around 1,000 seats will be on sale with prices starting from £75," RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said.
Worcester Warriors' game against Bath on 5 December is expected to be the first Premiership game to see a return of fans.
Race meetings at Lingfield, Haydock, Ludlow and Kempton are all expected to allow a limited number of spectators to attend on 2 December.
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