Prime Minister confirms fans will be allowed back in December

Prime Minster Boris Johnson has confirmed that some supporters will be allowed back into football grounds again when the four-week lockdown in England ends on December 2.

Clubs up and down the country have been playing in front of empty stadiums since the 2019-20 campaign was allowed to resume again in June, with Town's last match in front of a crowd back on March 7, a 0-0 draw at Wigan Athletic.

Johnson made the announcement outlining the government's new measures and Covid-19 restrictions in England on Monday via video link to the House of Commons, revealing a maximum of 4,000 fans will be allowed at outdoor events in the lowest-risk areas.

Up to 2,000 people will be allowed in tier two areas but none in tier three, with Town boss Nathan Jones stating today just how much he wanted supporters in attendance again.

The decisions on what areas will be in what tiers are expected to be revealed on Thursday, with Luton finding themselves in tier two ahead of the lockdown period starting.

The Prime Minister said: "In tiers one and two, spectator sports and business events will be free to resume inside and outside with capacity limits and social distancing.

"Later this week, we will announce which areas will fall into which tier - I hope on Thursday - based on analysis of cases in all age groups, especially the over-60s.

"Also, (it will involve) looking at the rate at which cases are rising or falling, the percentage of those tested in a local population who have Covid and current and projected pressures on the NHS."

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden continued: "This is a big step forward for sport.

"Bringing grassroots sport back was my number one priority, so I'm pleased we are reopening sports and gyms in every tier, in recognition of the significant health benefits.

"I'm also delighted we are able to get the turnstiles turning sooner than expected, taking a cautious approach and starting with the lowest-risk areas first.

"I'm confident that sports will take every step to ensure their fans are safe and fans will play their part and look out for each other until we can safely get everyone back in."

A statement from the EFL read: "The EFL welcomes today's decision by the Government to allow the return of supporters, capped at 4,000 in tier 1 and 2,000 in tier 2 when the national lockdown ends next week.

"We now look forward to the re-opening of some EFL club stadiums as we finally welcome back fans after eight long months away.

"Whilst today's news is subject to regional restrictions, it is an important step in achieving a return to normal, alongside it being crucial to address the significant revenue gap left by a lack of spectators and other revenue streams as a result of the pandemic.

"The restrictions in place does mean that not all clubs will get the opportunity straight away to re-open their turnstiles and we still await further guidance from DCMS to understand what areas will be placed in which tier which will not be available until later this week.

"In the meantime we are doing all we can to ensure we are ready to return when allowed to do so.

"Having worked closely in developing the appropriate safety guidance in conjunction with DCMS (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) and the SGSA (Sports Grounds Safety Authority, alongside undertaking a series of pilots event hosting up to 1,000 spectators in September, EFL clubs have already demonstrated that they are well positions to deliver the safe return of fans.

"Exit analysis shows that those who attended the pilot fixtures felt overwhelmingly safe and adhered to the necessary protocols and the EFL will continues its work with clubs to ensure that they have the most up to date safety procedures in place to welcome supporters back as soon as the relevant restrictions are lifted."