BREAKING NEWS: Boris Johnson puts the brakes on the return of fans to sport as spectators are now BANNED from cricket, snooker and racing test events for another two weeks… leaving football to face a longer wait for crowds to come back
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to hold back on plans to allow spectators to return to sporting events amid concern that coronavirus infection rates are worsening.
The return of fans inside grounds and stadiums had been earmarked for October, but now plans to allow the limited crowds at the Crucible for the World Snooker Championship, Goodwood and the Oval will be pushed back.
Sporting matches in the Premier League and England cricket have been held behind closed doors with the virus still a major concern around the country, and with evidence growth of the UK’s R number – the figure which demonstrates the rate of infection, it is expected that plans for test events will be put on ice.
In a statement on Twitter, Goodwood racecourse announced that permission to hold a pilot test event with spectators on Saturday had been withdrawn.
‘The government has informed racing’s leaders in the past hour that it has withdrawn permission for a pilot event involving customers, to proceed at Goodwood tomorrow. The racing on Sat 1 August will continue behind closed doors as it has on the previous four days of the meeting.’
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to delay the easing of coronavirus restrictions, meaning plans to bring spectators back to sporting events will be delayed