“Utterly baffling” and “wholly unnecessary”.
Words used in a statement issued by Isthmian Premier League club Corinthian Casuals on the decision not to allow supporters from opponents Dulwich Hamlet into their FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round match this weekend. The reason? Dulwich are in National League South and therefore considered ‘elite’. As has been mentioned in previous posts following Mossley’s progress, up to now clubs have been permitted to welcome fans into their grounds and this includes those from both sides. Whilst disappointing, the postponing of reintroducing spectators into sports events in October has been accepted as fair, however to have some fans allowed to watch games in a competition but others not, feels unnecessarily muddled to me. Should it not be all fans or no fans in the same round of a cup competition? If Corinthian were playing another team in the same league, home and away fans could pay to enter the ground and watch.
The FA issued guidance on Tuesday (September 29), as follows:
• Where an Elite Club is playing another Elite Club, the match must be played behind closed doors (i.e. with no spectators permitted to be in attendance)
• Where an Elite Club is playing a Non-Elite Club:
o Where the match is played at the Elite Club’s ground, the match must be played behind closed doors (i.e. with no spectators permitted to be in attendance)
o Where the match is played at the Non-Elite Club’s ground, spectators of the home club only shall be permitted to attend the match in accordance with the latest applicable National League System Spectator Guidance. Both clubs shall ensure that spectators of the visiting club are not in attendance at the match.
• Where a Non-Elite Club is playing another Non-Elite Club, spectators (of both the home and visiting clubs) shall be permitted to attend the match in accordance with the latest applicable National League System Spectator Guidance.
There is a kind of arbitrary logic to this, however the Corinthian statement adds “As the coronavirus is clearly clever enough to differentiate between supporters of Step 2 and 3 clubs, in their wisdom, supporters of National League clubs – which include Dulwich Hamlet – are banned from spectating.”
In a further confusing twist, it appears clubs are able to screen TV feeds of matches in their social clubs and bars, whilst fans from a specified number of clubs (decided on which division they play in) are not able to stand in the outdoors and watch matches themselves. Wealdstone FC are advertising this for their National League fixture with Chesterfield, an undoubtedly big occasion given Chesterfield’s recent Football League Status. The conditions for viewing sound intriguing however:
“All windows and viewing access to the pitch will be closed off and stewarding will be in place to ensure no access to the ground.”
I’ve seen the point be made several times in recent days that we have a situation where watching sport outside is not permitted, but watching it indoors, in pubs, is. The Premier League have even brought forward evening kick off times to fit with 10pm closing.
That the virus is on the rise again is not open for dispute, nor is that firm action needs to be taken to deal with it, but decisions such as these risk frustrating people just at the time when it’s absolutely vital they’re kept on side.
Glory Hunting 