Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Robbie Savage

Why is it unsafe to let socially distanced football fans return to stadiums?

If it’s safe to let hundreds of people pack a show at the London Palladium, why is it unsafe to let socially distanced fans watch professional football outdoors in the fresh air?

If clubs below the Premier League are not released from the grip of this pandemic soon, and some fans are allowed to return, I fear dozens will go under.

I understand why the Government has been cautious.

But the inconsistency is baffling. How is it safe to watch a match in an air-conditioned cinema but not outdoors in a stadium?

Daily Mirror columnist Robbie Savage (Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)

How is it safe for 3,000 people to attend concerts at the Royal Albert Hall but not 5,000 at a match at Wembley?

If life is ever going to get back to anything like normal, we need to make sure football survives.

I’m not asking for 75,000 fans to be let back into Old Trafford.

But football fans are not being treated the same way as other aspects of our national culture.

A level playing field would be a good start.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.