Fans could be back at football grounds and other sports venues as soon as next month in a surprise development.
Premier League matches have had to be held behind closed doors since football got going again in the summer, and it’s certainly not the same without the atmosphere that supporters bring to games.
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However, there’s no question that the rise in coronavirus cases in recent times means this is a necessary measure, with an initial deadline to try getting fans back in in October pushed back.
BBC Sport now report, however, that Prime Minister Boris Johnson is making it a “personal priority” to get fans back into stadiums in areas of low transmission, possibly by Christmas.
It remains to be seen how realistic this is, and one imagines it will still be rather different at games for some time, with reduced crowds likely to be necessary to allow better social distancing.
Still, even smaller crowds would be better than none in terms of improving the atmosphere at games and helping us get a step closer back towards the beautiful game we know and love.