West Ham fans could be sent a Covid test with their tickets along with on-site temperature checks to allow supporters back to the London Stadium
Officials are said to be drawing up plans which will open up major sports events to the public.
The Telegraph say there is a “huge push to get stadiums and sports open,”
Options being considered to include posting lateral flow tests to fans at home ahead of big events and using asymptomatic testing sites.
Rapid on-site testing and temperature checks are also getting a look in.
The Premier League is desperate to find ways to get supporters back into stadia as top-flight clubs continue to lose tens of millions in ticket revenue.
The Hammers staged one game with Supporters in December last year with 2,000 supporters chosen by ballot.
The last full capacity game at the London Stadium was almost a year ago on 29th February 2020 when 59,962 for the official attendance against Southampton which ended in a 3-1 win for the Hammers.
Currently these Covid tests cost around £150. That’s a big ask, on top of the ticket price and other expense to get to a match. I can’t see the NHS covering it, and West Ham footing the bill would leave the club even more out of pocket than having no supporters attending. Crowds queuing for an on site test would also be an issue. A Covid passport may be the best way forward.
Would seem responsible to wait until it is completely safe and gatherings of people on public transport, shopping centres, pubs and restaurants has become commonplace. We, as a nation, pushed it last summer and reaped the rewards of killing off thousands more and returning to a complete lockdown. The 2000 was an effort to see if spectators could be allowed. That didn’t quite work with many treating it as an opportunity to demonstrate that they were not concerned and there were immediate calls for greater numbers to be allowed ‘Covid Safe’ to watch the game inside the stadium. Totally missing the point that other people will want to apply similar rules to their activities. Everyone turning up at the same time in the same place. Plane loads coming from Ireland to Old Trafford. And so on – obvious folly.
There is talk of ‘opening everything’ for the important (hospitality busy) Easter holidays. As if everyone is suddenly going to revert to normal and need an Easter break! Time would be better spent living carefully rather than planning ways (often selfish) out of the situation. I’m certain any expert scientist would tell us that we need to conquer this Pandemic before we allow relaxation of our current way of life.
Hopefully, I’ll have a job to go back to some day soon. I want to resume my life too. But only in a safe way.
COYI
Common sense right there Taffyhammer. I agree wholeheartedly.
You do know that 60% of the people who have allegedly died from covid are disabled and almost certainly live in care homes? Or that only 400 deaths have been of people under the age of 60 without already underlying health problems? So it’s absolute tosh to say “we pushed it last summer” …and “reaped the reward (obscene phrase) of killing off thousands more”. Nothing of the sort happened at all.