Lockdown tiers: Which Premier League clubs can have fans and how many?
Your complete guide to which clubs across the Premier League and EFL can welcome back fans next week
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Your support makes all the difference.With the new three-tier restriction system set to be confirmed across the country, sports fans will eagerly await next Wednesday when venues can reopen their doors and welcome supporters for the first time in nearly nine months.
The coronavirus pandemic put the brakes on all forms of sport in March and triggered a shutdown that lasted for at least three months, with the likes of the Premier League, Premiership rugby, horse racing and boxing all resuming behind closed doors.
Hopes for a return of fans on 1 October were dashed when a rise in coronavirus cases and deaths triggered a second national lockdown, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced at the start of the week that the end of the tight restrictions will also coincide with the return of fans - albeit in very limited numbers.
The rules outlined by the government are:
- Tier 1: Up to 4,000 fans allowed outdoors, up to 2,000 fans indoors
- Tier 2: Up to 2,000 fans allowed outdoors, up to 1,000 fans or 50 per cent capacity (whichever is fewer) indoors
- Tier 3: No fans allowed outdoors and indoors.
It’s understood that Premier League games in Liverpool, London and Brighton will all be place under tier 2 restrictions, meaning fans can return in numbers up to 2,000 from next weekend.
However, matches in Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Leeds and Wolverhampton will all be placed in tier 3 restrictions, with fans forced to wait until they can return.
Here’s your complete guide to the football games that stand to be affected next week, and where fans will be eligible to return.
Tuesday 1 December
(EFL are considering moving games to Wednesday 3 December to allow fans to return)
Championship
Cardiff City vs Huddersfield Town (Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff) - Wales restrictions TBC
Birmingham City vs Barnsley (St Andrew’s, Birmingham) - tier 3
Bournemouth vs Preston North End (Vitality Stadium) - tier 2
Derby County vs Coventry City (Pride Park, Derby) -tier 3
Queens Park Rangers vs Bristol City (Loftus Road, London) - tier 2
Rotherham United vs Brentford (New York Stadium, Rotherham) - tier 3
League One
AFC Wimbledon vs Peterborough United (Plough Lane, London) - tier 2
Blackpool vs Portsmouth (Bloomfield Road Stadium, Blackpool) - tier 3
Crewe Alexandra vs Swindon Town (Gresty Road, Crewe) - tier 3
Lincoln City vs Wigan Athletic (LNER Stadium, Lincoln) - tier 3
Oxford United vs Ipswich Town (Kassam Stadium, Oxford) - tier 2
Sunderland vs Burton Albion (Stadium of Light, Sunderland) - tier 3
Northampton Town vs Fleetwood Town (Sixfields Stadium, Northampton) - tier 2
Plymouth Argyle vs Rochdale (Home Park, Plymouth) - tier 2
League Two
Bradford City vs Cheltenham Town (Northern Commercials Stadium, Bradford) - tier 3
Colchester United vs Crawley Town (Colchester Community Stadium, Colchester) - tier 2
Forest Green Rovers vs Newport County (The New Lawn, Gloucestershire) - tier 2
Grimsby Town vs Exeter City (Blundell Park, Grimsby) - tier 3
Harrogate Town vs Scunthorpe United (Wetherby Road, Harrogate) - tier 3
Morecambe vs Barrow (Globe Arena, Morecambe) - tier 3
Oldham Athletic vs Tranmere Rovers (Boundary Park, Oldham) - tier 3
Wednesday 2 December
Champions League
Manchester United vs Paris Saint-Germain (Old Trafford, Manchester) - tier 3
Championship
Blackburn Rovers vs Millwall (Ewood Park, Blackburn) - tier 3
Luton Town vs Norwich City (Kenilworth Road, Luton) - tier 2
Middlesbrough vs Swansea City (The Riverside, Middlesbrough) - tier 3
Nottingham Forest vs Watford (The City Ground, Nottingham) - tier 3
Sheffield Wednesday vs Reading (Hillsborough, Sheffield) - tier 3
Wycombe Wanderers vs Stoke City (Adam’s Park, Wycombe) - tier 2
League One
Bristol Rovers vs Gillingham (Memorial Stadium) - tier 3
Charlton Athletic vs Milton Keynes Dons (The Valley, London) - tier 2
Hull City vs Doncaster Rovers (KC Stadium, Hull) - tier 3
Shrewsbury Town vs Accrington Stanley (New Meadow, Shrewsbury) - tier 2
League Two
Cambridge United vs Mansfield Town (Abbey Stadium, Cambridge) - tier 2
Carlisle United vs Salford City (Brunton Park, Carlisle) - tier 3
Walsall vs Stevenage (Bescot Stadium, Walsall) - tier 3
Thursday 3 December
Europa League
Arsenal vs Rapid Vienna (Emirates Stadium, London) - tier 2 - CONFIRMED 2,000 FANS
Rangers vs Standard Liege (Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow) - Scotland restrictions TBC
Friday 4 December
Premier League
Aston Villa vs Newcastle United (Villa Park, Birmingham) - tier 3
Championship
Barnsley vs Bournemouth (Oakwell, Barnsley) - tier 3
Saturday 5 December
Premier League
Burnley vs Everton (Turf Moor, Burnley) - tier 3
Manchester City vs Fulham (Etihad Stadium, Manchester) - tier 3
West Ham vs Manchester United (London Stadium, London) - tier 2
Chelsea vs Leeds United (Stamford Bridge, London) - tier 2
Championship
Reading vs Nottingham Forest (Madjeski Stadium, Reading) - tier 2
Brentford vs Nottingham Forest (Brentford Community Stadium, London) - tier 2
Bristol City vs Birmingham City (Ashton Gate, Bristol) - tier 2
Coventry City vs Rotherham United (St Andrew’s, Birmingham) - tier 3
Huddersfield Town vs QPR (John Smith’s Stadium, Huddersfield) - tier 3
Millwall vs Derby County (The Den, London) - tier 2
Norwich City vs Sheffield Wednesday (Carrow Road, Norwich) - tier 2
Preston North Ends vs Wycombe Wanderers (Deepdale, Preston) - tier 3
Stoke City vs Middlesbrough (Britannia Stadium, Stoke) - tier 2
Swansea City vs Luton (Liberty Stadium, Swansea) - Wales regulations TBC
Watford vs Cardiff City (Vicarage Road, Watford) - tier 2
League One
Gillingham vs Swindon Town (Priestfield, Gillingham) - tier 3
AFC Wimbledon vs Bristol Rovers (Plough Lane, London) - tier 2
Accrington Stanley vs MK Dons (Wham Stadium, Accrington) - tier 3
Burton Albion vs Crewe Alexandra (Pirelli Stadium, Burton upon Trent) - tier 3
Fleetwood Town vs Blackpool (Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood) - tier 3
Northampton Town vs Doncater Rovers (Sixfields Stadium, Northampton) - tier 2
Oxford United vs Hull City (Kassam Stadium, Oxford) - tier 2
Plymouth Argyle vs Ipswich Town (Home Park, Plymouth) - tier 2
Portsmouth vs Peterborough United (Fratton Park, Portsmouth) - tier 2
Rochdale vs Lincoln City (Spotland Stadium, Manchester) - tier 3
Shrewsbury Town vs Charlton Athletic (New Meadow, Shrewsbury) - tier 2
Sunderland vs Wigan Athletic (Stadium of Light, Sunderland) - tier 3
League Two
Barrow vs Salford City (Holker Street, Barrow-in-Furness) - tier 2
Bolton Wanderers vs Port Vale (Macron Stadium, Bolton)- tier 3
Bradford City vs Carlisle United ((Northern Commercials Stadium, Bradford) - tier 3
Cambridge United vs Oldham Athletic (Abbey Stadium, Cambridge) - tier 2
Cheltenham Town vs Exeter City (Whaddon Road, Cheltenham) - tier 2
Harrogate Town vs Forest Green Rovers (Wetherby Road, Harrogate) - tier 3
Mansfield Town vs Crawley Town (Field Mill, Mansfield) - tier 3
Newport County vs Morecambe (Rodney Parade, Newport) - Wales restrictions TBC
Scunthorpe United vs Leyton Orient (Glanford Park, Scunthorpe) - tier 3
Stevenage vs Southend United (Broadhall Way, Stevenage) - tier 2
Tranmere Rovers vs Walsall (Prenton Park, Birkenhead) - tier 2
Women’s Super League
Aston Villa vs Manchester United (Bank’s Stadium, Birmingham) - tier 3
Sunday 6 December
Premier League
West Bromwich Albion vs Crystal Palace (The Hawthorns, Birmingham) - tier 3
Sheffield United vs Leicester City (Brammall Lane, Sheffield) - tier 3
Spurs vs Arsenal (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) - tier 2
Liverpool vs Wolves (Anfield, Liverpool) - tier 2
Women’s Super League
Chelsea vs West Ham United (Kingsmeadow, London) - tier 2
Arsenal vs Birmingham City (Meadow Park, London) - tier 2
Tottenham vs Brighton & Hove Albion (The Hive, London) - tier 2
Reading vs Bristol City (Madejski Stadium, Reading) - tier 2
Everton vs Manchester City (Walton Hall Park, Liverpool) - tier 2
Monday 7 December
Premier League
Brighton vs Southampton (Amex Stadium, Brighton) - tier 2
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