Amid the coronavirus scare, the FA Cup final on August 1 may see 20,000 fans at Wembley as the first major step back toward phasing audiences.
According to sources, football bosses are considering having 10,000 supporters for any finalist if Britain brings Covid-19 under greater control.
The Mirror says officials from Wembley believe the 90,000-capacity national stadium would offer the ideal opportunity-following the back-to-the-closed action facing football when the Premier League resumes on June 17.
But it is thought that the rate of infection with coronavirus “R” would first need to dip to about 0.5 from its current level of 0.7 to 1.
Wembley can hold a much larger number of spectators than any other football stadium in the country, making social distancing easier to maintain.
Yet as the government is easing the lockout, some scientists are afraid of a second surge in the virus as the public flocks to enjoy the warmer climate.
So the FA will be facing a big demand for supporters to attend the showpiece final of the domestic game.
The quarter-finals of the FA Cup are set for the weekend of 27-28 June, with the last four games due from 18-19 July.
The Prem, meanwhile, only restarts with the acceptance of some matches at neutral venues. This means which Liverpool is likely to be robbed of the chance to win the title in Anfield and/or celebrate there shortly after. But having supporters attend the final of the FA Cup will be a useful guide to a gradual return of fans at some games when next season starts, likely in September.
The Mirror reports a football administrator saying: “When government health advice allows, there have been discussions about a phased return of spectators.
At first, that’s going to be in smaller, manageable numbers and Wembley will seem like a good place to start as it’s the biggest stadium in the world.
