Football fans will be BANNED from Premier League matches unless they have proof of double Covid jab, under new Govt plan
FOOTBALL fans will be banned from attending Premier League games unless they have been double jabbed, under plans drawn up by the government.
Ministers want to allow full capacity crowds to return to stadiums for the first time since the start of the pandemic - but only if everyone can prove they are fully protected against coronavirus.
The idea was floated in top-level discussions between Whitehall officials and the sport's ruling body in the last few days.
It came as England manager Gareth Southgate urged young people to get vaccinated, saying it was their chance to "Get your freedom back".
With the big kick off just three weeks away, plans have been drawn up to require all spectators over the age of 18 to show proof of two vaccinations before being allowed to enter a football stadium.
The rule would cover all grounds with a capacity of over 20,000 - which would cover most Premier League grounds.
Newly promoted Brentford has room for 17,250 so could be made an exception to the new requirement.
A senior Government source said: “It’s really important that fans are able to continue watching sport over the autumn but we want to ensure that everyone is safe.
"That is why we’re looking at the role vaccines might play in this. It will not only allow full-capacity stadiums but has the added advantage of encouraging people of all ages to go and get their jabs.”
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The requirement is reportedly set to be extended to the autumn rugby internationals, major concerts, and other spectator events.
A government source told the newspaper that officials are currently in talks with the Premier League over mandating double vaccination for supporters - but stressed no decision had been made yet.
But the move could also see some 210,000 fans locked out of Premier League stadiums as they are not yet fully-jabbed, according to the Sunday Mirror.
A third of 18 to 29-year-olds in England - about three million people - have so far not even had their first jab. In Scotland, three in ten are unprotected.
But half of all under-30s in England - more than four million people - received a first dose in the three weeks after the vaccination programme was opened to people in their 20s in June. And the vaccination rate is still climbing.
PASSPORT ROW
Ministers have come under fire for introducing the scheme which Labour has branded “costly” and “impractical”.
It has also sparked fury on the Tory backbenches, with influential MP Steve Baker claiming he would not attend the party's annual conference if entry requires showing a vaccine passport.
But cabinet ministers insist the policy is one of the only ways of keeping venues open during a predicted spike in cases and hospitalisations this Winter. Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said a widening of the scheme was “the right thing to do”.
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville slammed the plan, claiming fans “shouldn’t need a passport to watch a football match”.
But ex-Liverpool player Mark Lawrenson backed the move, telling the Sunday Mirror: “I think it’s a great idea. Why wouldn’t you want to be safe and why wouldn’t you make it so you had passports?”
If it means we can get people into stadiums then just do it
Mark Lawrenson
He added: “If it means we can get people into stadiums then just do it. And without crowds at lower league clubs, what are they going to do? It’s all about finances.”
It comes after Boris Johnson last week announced that Brits heading to nightclubs will need to show proof they are fully inoculated against the virus from the end of September.
He also indicated that “other venues where large crowds gather” could also be made to adopt the checks.
But supporters of the scheme insiste it is a sure-fire way to open up normal activities once again after 18 months of damaging and soul-destroying lockdowns.
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Scientists have been encouraged by the results of the early phases of the Events Research Programme, which revealed few infections linked to outdoor sports events.
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Results from the latest phase, which included much larger capacities at the Euro 2020 final and semi-finals are yet to be analysed and published.
But, they remain cautious about large gatherings in the autumn and winter, when respiratory infections tend to flourish, if high levels of the virus are circulating.