New scheme in the works could see fans return to English football games ahead of schedule

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A new scheme from the team behind the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ campaign could see fans back in English football grounds before November.

According to the Times, we could soon see the launch of ‘Seat Out to Help Out’ – a bid to get people at football games and similar events such as theatres safely amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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The report explains that Prime Minister Boris Johnson is keen to try to get back to a greater sense of normality before the initially planned date of 1st of November when social distancing could be eased.

Fans wanting to attend games would be tested before attending, whilst also being followed up by contact tracers afterwards, according to the Times.

One imagines this would still likely mean football grounds could not be completely full, but a partial return of fans would still be great to see, provided it can be done safely.

So far, football coming back has gone surprisingly well with the strict measures in place, with only limited outbreaks within playing squads so far.

Some were pessimistic about even finishing the Premier League season, but in the end it was finally done this summer, even while other countries decided to end their campaigns early.

Playing in empty stadiums, however, is not the same as having supporters present to provide an atmosphere, so let’s hope a plan can be executed in the coming weeks.

A recent friendly between Brighton and Chelsea was played in front of a reduced crowd, but the new league season is still expected to take place behind closed doors to start with.