The FA Trophy final will still have supporters at Wembley but the capacity has been slashed to just 1,000, it has been confirmed.
Non-league football's flagship cup competition was due to be one of the pilot events to help welcome supporters back into stadiums.
But Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed it had been one of a host of events that has been reviewed as a result of the alarming spike of coronavirus cases that has left the UK fearing a second wave of the deadly illness.
Notts County could reach the FA Trophy final to face Concord Rangers if they overcome Harrogate at Meadow Lane next Thursday in what is a repeat of the National League play-off final held behind closed doors at Wembley last month.
Initially it was confirmed that up to 10,000 fans would be in attendance to watch the showpiece event, but those plans have now had to be shelved.
And that means thousands of Notts fans who had been hoping for a capital day out will now miss watching the Magpies under the famous arch if they make it through next week.
The news comes as the government planned to get fans back in stadiums on a limited capacity basis permanently from October 1 at the earliest.
In Johnson’s daily briefing he talked about new measures being taken after what he described was a ‘rapid rise in cases’ in the last few days.
Social gatherings of more than six people will be banned from Monday indoors or outdoors including homes, parks, pubs and restaurants. There will be £100 fines if people do not comply with this.
Organised sports in Covid safe environments remain exempt. The measures are being taken to lessen the risk of a second wave which could lead to a second national lockdown.
“We must revise plans to pilot larger audiences in stadiums & review our intention to return audiences to stadiums from the 1st October,” Johnson said, adding that “organised sport will still be able to proceed”.
