Mixed emotions for fans as clubs prepare for EFL return

Fans have been reacquainting themselves with the old routine, such as queuing at turnstiles

This weekend, all over the country, the ritual of the football matchday is back.

Fans of the 72 English Football League member clubs are again welcomed back to grounds without restrictions for the first time since March 2020; to stand or sit in their regular spot, don those lucky pants or scarves and meet again as pals in cafes and pubs.

Not to mention, the unique excitement generated by the start of a brand new season, afresh, full of hope and optimism. Will it be our year? One can dream.

Yet, there will be mixed emotions. It is a very different world because of Covid-19, and some fans will be returning without old friends, without family members, without trusty companions.

BBC Sport hears from some fans desperate for their footballing return, and others still managing genuine concerns.

Raring to go after 17 months away

Portman Road will again buzz to the sound of fans when Morecambe visit on Saturday

Following a team during lockdown was a fairly soulless experience for football fans; time spent glued to laptops and tablets, following streams of matches played in empty stadiums.

With that in mind, Saturday's return is a moment to be savoured for Ipswich Town fan Kev Reeve.

His club has gone through major change during lockdown, the departure of former owner Marcus Evans and a new regime at Portman Road.

It was not always enjoyable viewing from the sofa, but there was no chance of Reeve and his son Nathan missing the kick-off come Saturday, when League One newcomers Morecambe come to town.

"This is how sad I am," Kev Reeve told BBC Radio Suffolk. "I went to football on Saturday to watch a friendly and as I walked into the stadium and took my seat I did a little cheer, it's great.

"There's two things for me. First, it's my family, then it's Ipswich Town.

"We've had two horrendous seasons sat in watching rubbish on the telly and I can't wait to get down there on Saturday, see my pals, have a few beers."

Fellow Town fan Joe Sadler added: "I've got a season ticket with my grandad who I haven't seen much of because of Covid.

"I can't wait to wake up Saturday morning and go to the football with him - that is what it's all about."

For families such as the Ahmeds, football is also about family. And in their case, Nottingham Forest too.

Season ticket holder Athiyah Ahmed cannot wait to walk through the turnstiles for Forest's first home game back at the City Ground, something she first did back in the early 1990s.

"For that first game, I don't really think what happens on the pitch is going to be a huge deal," she told BBC East Midlands Today.

"Fans are just going to be glad to come and do their usual Saturday ritual. Before lockdown that was what people did and it's something that they really missed out on so it'll be great to bring it all back."

Managing the risk: those who might have to stay away

Reading fans at test events in 2020 were made to wear masks, but those protocols no longer apply

Paul Mann laughs about the "ups and mostly downs" of being a Reading fan when he considers the support he has given the team home and away since his Royals adventure began in 1985.

He is a big part of the Elm Park Royals podcast and the Digestive fanzine too, and a regular season ticket holder.

Normally he would be heading on a train to the Potteries this weekend with Reading opening the Championship season at Stoke; the classic 'awayday' adventure with friends to kick-off a new campaign.

However, Mann is on immunosuppressants following a heart and lung transplant in 1998 - placing him in the high risk category - and the risk of catching Covid has to be considered.

"I don't want to go to an event and feel uncomfortable," he told BBC Sport.

"It's bad enough having to watch Reading, but having to think your health is going to get bad is definitely not going to add to it. It's a really tough one to balance out."

Reading's average attendance the last season fans were in the ground - 2019-20 - was around 12,000 but the novelty factor of being allowed back in might swell that figure.

Even with a double vaccine, Mann's concerns mean he is cherry-picking his games carefully, where crowds might be smaller or where risk would be limited.

"You watch sporting events on TV and everyone is sat there with no masks on at all, and I don't blame them, there's no criticism at all," Mann continued.

"But, that makes me feel uneasy. I also know that the probability of getting Covid in an outside setting is incredibly low, so it's a real balance.

"I've definitely had other Reading fans and fans of other clubs saying: 'Oh yeah, I'm on immunosuppressants and I'm worried about it in some way.'

"There's a pretty large community out there, if you look at it there were more than two million people shielding.

"That's probably sliced because people have had the vaccine but I think there will be a lot of people who won't be going to football.

"I think it will be interesting to see sporting events, I don't think they will be as full as people think. At the bigger clubs they might be, but at clubs like Reading I don't think they will because people are very cautious still."

Although there no restrictions on supporters heading into stadiums, there is still the fact that coronavirus continues to have an impact, with case numbers - albeit falling - still high and the issue of NHS contact tracing alerts.

There is the prospect of what has been termed the 'pingdemic' having an impact on football.

Doncaster Rovers, Gillingham and Nottingham Forest were all forced to call off pre-season games because of Covid-19 issues, as clubs were impacted by the spread of the virus within communities.

With restrictions lifted for the general public, testing is at the discretion of clubs.

Clubs welcoming back fans

The EFL itself had a day of events across the 72 clubs to welcome supporters back which included:

• Oxford United manager, Karl Robinson, welcoming fans who work for the NHS

• Sheffield United captain, Billy Sharp meeting the Rainbow Blades and Senior Blades supporters groups

• Rotherham United manager Paul Warne and captain Richard Wood meeting fans from their Disabled Supporters' Association

• Ipswich Town manager, Paul Cook and chief executive Mark Ashton surprising a young fan who has Crohn's disease

• Reading manager, Veljko Paunovic, signing up the first Young Royal of the summer.

• Rochdale manager, Robbie Stockdale, and captain, Eoghan O'Connell, meeting fans from the likes of Military Veterans, Walking Footballers, Fit Dale and Dale Ladies.

Sheffield United's Billy Sharp with two fans promoting diversity

Veljko Paunovic signs a young fan's shirt at Reading's Select Car Leasing Stadium

Fulham fans meet up with defender Joe Bryan as they prepare for the 2021-22 Championship season

Oxford manager Karl Robinson meets one of the U's youngest fans