Swansea City and Newport County to welcome fans back for EFL play-offs

Swansea City last had fans at the Liberty Stadium for a goalless draw with West Brom on 7 March, 2020

The Welsh Government has given the go-ahead for both Swansea City and Newport County to welcome back fans for this month's EFL play-offs.

The games are among the pilot events for the safe return of fans to stadiums for the first time in 14 months.

Championship side Swansea will host 3,000 supporters for their semi-final home leg against Barnsley on 22 May.

League Two Newport County will welcome 900 fans to Rodney Parade for the visit of Forest Green Rovers on 18 May.

The games will mark the first time supporters have been able to return to stadiums in Wales since coronavirus restrictions began in March 2020.

The play-off fixtures are part of a series of test events, the plans for which were announced by First Minister Mark Drakeford last month.

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No firm decisions could be taken before the results of last week's Senedd elections, although it is thought fixtures had already been earmarked before the election period.

A list of nine pilots have now been confirmed, including Wales' football friendly fixture with Albania at Cardiff City Stadium on 5 June which will be set to welcome 4,000 supporters in the side's final game before this summer's European Championship.

Up to 1,000 fans will also be able to attend the four-day County Championship fixture between Glamorgan and Lancashire at Sophia Gardens that starts on 3 June, while the Wales Triathlon in Fishguard on 11 and 12 June will also be open to registered participants.

Glamorgan chief executive Hugh Morris said: "We are absolutely delighted members will be allowed back into Sophia Gardens and able to cheer on the team.

"We are grateful to the Welsh Government for selecting us as a test event and we will work closely with them, as well as other key stakeholders... to help prepare for the pilot."

Cultural events - including theatres - and business are also included in the first tranche of pilots with more to follow over the summer, should they prove to be successful.

Not originally on the list, talks with the EFL to include the play-off games began after Swansea City secured a top-six finish a fortnight ago, with Newport confirming their place at the weekend.

The EFL said Swansea and Newport were free to determine with local safety advisory groups the exact number of supporters that will be able to attend each game,.

Swansea say approximately 3000 tickets will be made available via a ballot system, with those successful receiving their tickets free of charge.

"As a football club we are absolutely delighted to be able to welcome supporters back to the Liberty Stadium," Swansea City chief executive Julian Winter said.

"We cannot wait to be reunited with our supporters for the first time since March 2020 and we hope that those supporters who are successful in the ballot have an enjoyable experience, because we've missed you all immensely."

Newport County will allow 900 fans into Rodney Parade to see them host Forest Green Rovers, with fans able to apply for a ballot for the tickets. Like with Swansea, the tickets will be free.

"My thanks to our club staff, Rodney Parade and multiple stakeholders who have come together in a relatively short space of time to ensure our play-off fixture can operate as a pilot event for the safe return of fans," Newport chairman Gavin Foxall said.

English clubs had already anticipated having fans attend their games in accordance to the UK Government's roadmap for easing of restrictions. The EFL made it clear they wanted an equal number of supporters in attendance for both legs of the respective play-off ties.

"The EFL is delighted to note that supporters have been formally permitted to attend both Swansea City and Newport County's forthcoming Sky Bet Play-Off Semi-Final fixtures," EFL chief executive Trevor Birch said.

"We welcome the final confirmation that has now been provided and thank the Welsh Government, local authorities and all those who have been involved in getting fans back for these exciting ties.

"Hopefully the insight gained from these fixtures and the Welsh Government's wider pilot programme will play an important role in getting fans in Wales back through the turnstiles in large numbers for the start of next season."

Mr Drakeford, added: "It's been a long and difficult 18 months for the events industry in Wales - for event owners, those who depend on the sector for the work - and for those who long to see the return of live events to Wales.

"As we look at lifting the coronavirus restrictions in Wales we have worked closely with event organisers to establish a list of pilot test events which take in a range of different locations and types of event.

"This work is bringing us a step closer to a return to events in Wales, I'd like to thank these event owners and local authorities and health boards for their commitment in working with us and wish them well over the summer.

"These events are very different in nature and location but access of attendees - whether participants or spectators - is strictly controlled by the organisers and agreed in advance."

Wrexham have said they are not expecting to be able to have fans back at the Racecourse for their league run-in, despite the National League stating it is planning for the return of spectators from Monday 17 May for clubs in England.

However, should the north Wales club - currently sixth in the table - qualify for the play-offs and have a home tie, then the First Minister said Wrexham will be granted a test event.

Mr Drakeford was responding to a question as to why no pilot events had been scheduled in north Wales.

"There's no geographical reason why the events are where they were. They were in different parts of Wales when we had our pilot programme back in August and September," he said.

"I am sure that if Wrexham reached the play-offs then there will be a pilot event where people will be able to attend the home leg of that, so in that sense there would be an event in north Wales and I hope very much - and my colleague Lesley Griffiths (the MS for Wrexham) wouldn't forgive me if I didn't say as much - that will indeed be the case in Wrexham."

The lack of a sporting test event in north Wales or involving Cymru Premier football teams had prompted social media comment and debate.