Chelsea have welcomed the news that Blues fans could be back inside Stamford Bridge as early as next month under new plans put in place by the Prime Minister.
On Monday, Boris Johnson announced that supporters in certain areas would be able to make their long-awaited return to stadia after the national lockdown, which ends on December 2.
A new, stricter three-tiered system will be put in place across the country, targeting areas hit hardest by coronavirus, rather than the country as a whole. An announcement is expected on Thursday to reveal which regions are in which tier.
This will dictate the severity of each area's restrictions and will have a direct impact on the number of supporters allowed in each ground across the country.
Johnson has confirmed that outdoor venues that are in Tier 1 areas (of lowest risk) will be allowed to host 4,000 spectators or fill 50% of their capacity (whichever is lower).
Outdoor venues in Tier 2 areas will be able to welcome 2,000 spectators or 50% of their capacity back into their stadiums.
Under the new rules, areas in Tier 3 will still be forced to play behind closed doors under the new rules.
Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck said: “As I am sure our fans do as well, the Club welcomes this development and will continue to work with the Premier League and the DCMS on the safe return of fans to Stamford Bridge.”
A statement from Chelsea on their club website added: “Chelsea Football Club welcomes yesterday’s announcement by the Prime Minister and the UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on a return of supporters to elite sports events from 2 December.
“The announcement, linked to a wider three-tier system of Covid restrictions which will follow the end of a four-week lockdown, means that for Premier League clubs, fans may return in lower transmission areas with a maximum of 4,000 fans being allowed into stadiums in tier one (medium alert) locations, and 2,000 fans in tier two (high alert) locations.
“While the current guidelines mean that we will not yet be able to return to full capacity at Stamford Bridge, the Club continues to work on plans to accommodate as many fans as possible, as fairly as possible, and we appreciate supporter patience as we do so.
Chelsea FC also continues to support the Premier League as it works towards an agreement on a roadmap, with DCMS and the Sports Technology and Innovation Group, for pilot events that can help all Premier League clubs quickly scale up to larger capacities in line with the Sports Ground Safety Authority’s COVID-secure guidelines and beyond.”
