Crowd of 4,000 to attend Leicester v Southampton FA Cup semi-final as part of test events - report

ByJames Walker-Roberts

Published 01/04/2021 at 15:30 GMT

There will be reportedly be a crowd of 4,000 people attending the FA Cup semi-final between Leicester and Southampton on April 18. The match will be one of several test events over the next month as the government looks to ease lockdown restrictions and allow fans back into stadium. Chelsea and Manchester City meet in the other semi-final on April 17.

The FA Cup semi-final between Leicester and Southampton will reportedly be the first football test event as part of the return of fans to stadiums.

The match, which is being held at Wembley on April 18, will be played in front of a crowd of 4,000 people from the local Brent area, according to the Daily Mail.

Health service workers may also be invited to attend but fans of either club will not be able to get tickets. Chelsea and Manchester City meet in the other semi-final on April 17.

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The Carabao Cup final between Tottenham and Manchester City the following weekend will also be a test event and will reportedly have a larger attendance.

Fans have been unable to attend sporting events across England since the tier system ended in December.

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But with the government’s roadmap out of lockdown still on track, it is hoped that a limited number of fans could return to stadiums after May 17.

While that date would rule out fans at the FA Cup final on May 15, that match may also be part of the testing and could reportedly see 20,000 supporters at Wembley.

When the restrictions on crowds are lifted they will initially allow 10,000 people or 25 per cent of the capacity, whichever is lower, to return to outdoor stadiums.

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The World Snooker Championship in Sheffield, which starts on April 17 and is live on Eurosport, is also part of the testing.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has said he is hopeful a large crowd will be able to attend the Euro 2020 final at Wembley on July 11, almost three weeks after lockdown restrictions in England are expected to be lifted.

He told PA last week: “For the (Euro) games before June 21, clearly they'll be subject to some restrictions. After June 21, including the Euro final, I hope to get as many people in as we can - and significantly more than that - but only if we can do so in a safe way.”

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