Earlier this week Boris Johnson announced that fans would not be allowed back into stadiums for the foreseeable future, the decision was met with a lot of negativity from fans from all across the footballing world. However, once again, football fans have done what they do best, and rally together to show strength and solidarity.
Colchester Chairman Robbie Cowling has been very forward in his desire to get fans back, and issued an open letter to Boris Johnson, with some very powerful and well made points. The letter has been retweeted over 1600 times, and has been shared by many fans, and football clubs themselves. In the letter, he outlines things that Colchester have done to prepare for the return of fans:
1. Our ticketing system which we have had to completely revamp.
2. Our seating areas where we have removed 1800 seats just so that we can ensure no fan has to even brush past another unless they are in the same support bubble.
3. The areas that surround our stadium to provide additional space and ensure attendees can move around the stadium whilst complying with the social distancing requirements.
Obviously all clubs are doing what they can to make sure fans adhere to social distancing, and guidelines. However, seeing that clubs are physically removing seats to make sure that fans won’t even have to walk past other people, is one measure that I feel is the smartest way to get government to listen. The rest makes it no different than going into a shop, pub, bar etc etc, by following one-way systems, and using entrances safely.
And that is what really annoys me about the delay for fans. I won’t go on too much of a rant, but to sum up, Robbie Cowling words it perfectly:
I suggest your Government quickly returns the responsibility for deciding how many attendees I can have at Colchester United fixtures from October to the Safety Advisory Groups because they have experience in these specific matters and know exactly what they are doing.
However, just so I understand it when I’m having to lay off even more staff, can someone explain to me again how I can safely sit in a confined aeroplane with 300 other passengers and I can safely eat inside a restaurant or drink inside a pub until 10pm but I can’t safely attend a football match which is predominately outside and has been certificated as safe by a SAG?
His point is valid. The Safety Advisory Groups have to go round club by club to pass them as fit and ready to have fans attend. If they think that a club/stadium, or any facility for that matter, is safe to have people in, then surely that is the people that should make the decision.
The fact that this open letter has received so much support is nothing but good, and shows how much the footballing world will get behind people that are trying to help. We have no particular link with Colchester, nor have many of the clubs retweeting, and showing support. But they are saying what are all thinking, and trying to help for the good of the game, and I take my hat off to them for doing so.
There has also been a big support this week after Leyton Orient vs Spurs was called off. Everyone has heard of how Orient are set to lose £125,000 if the game is cancelled, rather than postponed, and after their chairman Nigel Travis was very open in the fact that because of Covid-19, the club are set to lose £1.5 million, Spurs fans have tried to do their bit to help out. Since the game was cancelled, they have purchased over £20,000 worth of merchandise from Orient, to help them out financially.
There is now the big talk of ‘could this be replicated across the leagues’. Fans from bigger clubs, predominantly Premier League clubs, are starting to realise that there is a way to help the smaller clubs that are local too them. With the way Sky is structured at the moment, the finances in the Premier League are looking healthy, with clubs appearing more often on TV. However, if there was an initiative, or UK wide pledge, for fans to support smaller teams, it could massively boost the finances. Pretty much all of League Two have bigger clubs on their doorstep, so if fans from these bigger clubs decided to buy a scarf, a shirt, or some other merchandise, it would keep the cashflow going.
Spurs fans spent £20,000 in a day, think of what could be raised across lower league football from fans from all over the UK.
I am sure there are, and will be, more stories that come out, especially after the recent updates. So let’s keep sharing the positivity in these tough times. Anything you see, share around and tag me in. Let’s spread some good news.
For the full Robbie Cowling letter, follow the link here
