The EFL has confirmed that the Carabao Cup final has been selected as one of the UK’s trial events to test fans’ return to the stadium.
It was revealed at the end of March that a handful of events for various sports, including the FA Cup semi-final between Southampton and Leicester, will welcome a small number of fans to give health representatives a better idea of how likely they are to return. to arenas are.
The final 2021 @Carabao_Cup has been confirmed as an official test event for the UK Government’s event research program. Https://t.co/To1SUaMcEF#EFL | #CarabaoCup
– EFL Communications (@EFL_Comms) April 4, 2021
The next event to be included in the event research program is the Carabao Cup final between Manchester City and Tottenham, which EFL confirmed on their official website will now be played in front of 8000 fans.
A percentage of these 8,000 tickets will be offered up to fans of both clubs, with the remaining seats given to locals and NHS staff.
“Carabao Cup is a valuable asset for EFL, a fantastic competition for clubs to win and always a fantastic opportunity so we are very happy to see supporters back to the 2021 final, in hopefully another important milestone on the way to a full return of fans , “EFL Chairman Rick Parry.
Parry is keen to work for a return for Richard Heathcote / Getty Images fans
“Football has a wealth of audience management expertise so we welcome the opportunity to support the government in its event research program and will also be very proud to host NHS staff in the final as we owe so much for their significant efforts throughout the pandemic. .
EFL’s overall goal has always been to seek fans back to the stadium as soon as it is safe and we welcome the opportunity to play our part in collaboration with Wembley Stadium, local authorities and specialists overseeing the research program.
“These collective efforts will be crucial as we seek a return for fans of EFL clubs for the playoffs and start of the 2021/22 season, so that our members can plan with confidence.”
The final of the Carabao Cup 2020/21 is confirmed. @ManCity and @SpursOfficial, see you at Wembley! #EFL | #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/JwT2UVYoMa
– Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) January 6, 2021
Cultural Secretary Oliver Dowden added: “Our sports stars and fantastic artists need us to find ways to get their backs in places safely. This science-led pilot program will be the springboard for reviving live performance. We have supported sports and art with unmatched sums, but it is now time to make the great British summer of live events a reality. ”
The Carabao Cup was originally scheduled for February but was pushed back to April 25 in the hope that the game could be played in front of fans, and while the EFL would have preferred a larger audience, this decision will be seen as a positive result by Allt.
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