Bristol Rovers CEO Martyn Starnes has admitted allowing 1,000 fans to return to games at the Mem would cost the club more than playing in an empty stadium.
The Gas were given the opportunity to apply to host a crowd of 1,000 at this Saturday’s League One game against Ipswich Town, but the club declined and will face the Tractor Boys behind closed doors.
Clubs were only given four days’ notice to put their name forward to the EFL, and with no guarantees they would be selected after making their case Rovers passed on the opportunity.
That is despite revenue being down 50 per cent due to the pandemic, with each game without a typical crowd costing the club in the region of £150,000.
Starnes has revealed a 1,000-strong crowd would not bring a boost to the coffers, and larger attendances are required to cover the costs of running a match day.
"There will be additional costs required in stewarding because we would have to make sure the social distancing is being adhered to clearly, car parks have to be managed, kiosks have to be managed,” he told Sky Sports News.
"So my guess would be that we would actually incur more costs having a thousand people in than if the stadium stayed empty.”
Ten clubs had been chosen by the EFL to host 1,000 supporters at their league games on Saturday, but Morecambe and Luton Town have pulled out of the pilot amid concerns over a lack of preparation time.
Middlesbrough, Norwich City, Blackpool, Charlton Athletic, Hull City, Shrewsbury Town, Carlisle United and Forest Green Rovers will welcome supporters back on Saturday for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in March.
