Sunderland's pre-match friendly with Harrogate Town on Saturday will be played behind-closed-doors after a last-minute change from the home side.
The Black Cats issued a statement this evening explaining the late change, which was taken by Harrogate on advice from their local safety advisory group.
Supporters will be able to watch the game for free on the SAFSee channel, with fans who have already paid for access refunded.
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A statement from Sunderland read: "Sunderland AFC is incredibly disappointed to inform supporters that Saturday’s pre-season friendly at Harrogate Town will now be played behind closed doors.
"At 5pm on Friday afternoon, HTFC informed SAFC that spectators would no longer be permitted to attend the fixture following recommendations from their local safety advisory group.
"SAFC understands that supporters will be extremely disappointed by this news and its last-minute nature, with many fans incurring considerable personal expense to put travel plans in place.
"We share this disappointment and will work closely with HTFC to ensure that all ticket holders receive a full refund as soon as possible.
"Following today’s update stating that supporters would no longer be permitted to attend the fixture, SAFC has taken the decision to stream the fixture on the SAFSee platform free of charge.
"Supporters who have already purchased a streaming pass will also receive a full refund."
Meanwhile Harrogate also put out their own statement explaining their decision and apologising for any inconvenience.
They said: "It is with regret that we are announcing Saturday, July 24's pre-season fixture against Sunderland will now be played behind-closed-doors.
"At just after 2pm on Friday 23 July the club received a letter from North Yorkshire County Council Safety Advisory Group who had identified a number of issues that made them uneasy about the match going ahead with a crowd.
"We are working with the SAG to address the points they have raised for future fixtures.
"All supporters who purchased a ticket for the fixture will receive a full refund. The fixture will be available to watch live free of charge via Sunderland AFC's official website. Anyone who had already purchased a stream at £10 via live.harrogatetownafc.com will be refunded.
"We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused."
