Wales: FAW confirms fans can travel to October away qualifiers

Wales football supportersAnadolu Agency

Wales supporters are known as the Red Wall and travelled in large numbers prior to the pandemic

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) has confirmed Wales fans will be allowed to travel to October's World Cup qualifiers in Czech Republic and Estonia.

The FAW has had confirmation from Fifa after Uefa lifted a ban on away fans attending European club matches.

Travel and numbers allowed to attend games will be subject to restrictions by local and national authorities.

Both Czech Republic and Estonia are on the UK government's amber list.

The Welsh government has its own Covid-19 related requirements for people travelling to and from Wales.

Travel advice for both Estonia and Czech Republic is that anyone arriving from the UK is exempt from self-isolation rules on entry if they have had two vaccinations.

Wales manager Rob Page welcomed the easing of travel restrictions for their fans.

"It's not just that they go and see the game, it's an experience for them, they go for the weekend some of them and make a thing of it," he said.

"For them its nice, for us as a team it's nice to have the supporters with you all the way - they are the extra man that you need sometimes when you have to dig deep, certainly away from home."

European football's governing body Uefa and global counterparts Fifa had ruled that no away fans were permitted at this month's international matches in Europe because of a "spike" in Covid-19 cases.

This included Wales' friendly against Finland in Helsinki, while the World Cup qualifier against Belarus was played behind closed doors after being switched to the Russian city of Kazan.

While a small number of Wales fans were able to find ways to attend games in Amsterdam, Baku and Rome, they were largely restricted from travelling to games at the summer's Euro 2020 Championship.

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