Town have welcomed today’s announcement that up to 4,000 fans will be allowed to return to grounds after the lockdown ends on December 2nd.

Prime minister Boris Johnson announced the plans in the House of Commons this afternoon which will see clubs in areas in tier one, those with the lowest risk of the coronavirus, able to admit up to 4,000 home fans.

In tier two, up to 2,000 will be able to attend, but no supporters will be admitted if their club is in tier three with the greatest risk.

“We welcome today’s positive news from the Government,” club secretary Stuart Hayton told the club site.

“Obviously we have to wait until we find out which tier we are in and what restrictions will be in place but hopefully supporters will be back at Portman Road next month.

“A lot of hard work has gone on behind the scenes in preparation for the return of fans and a lot of hard work still lies ahead but the announcement today will give everyone a lot of encouragement.”

An EFL spokesman said: “The EFL welcomes today’s decision by the Government to allow the return of supporters, capped at 4,000 in tier one and 2,000 in tier two when the national lockdown ends next week.

“We now look forward to the re-opening of some EFL club stadiums as we finally welcome back fans after eight long months away.

“Whilst today’s news is subject to regional restrictions, it is an important step in achieving a return to normal, alongside it being crucial to addressing the significant revenue gap left by a lack of spectators and other revenue streams as a result of the pandemic.

“The restrictions in place does mean that not all clubs will get the opportunity straight away to re-open their turnstiles and we still await further guidance from DCMS [Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport] to understand what areas will be placed in which tier which will not be available until later this week.

“In the meantime we are doing all we can to ensure we are ready to return when allowed to do so.

“Having worked closely in developing the appropriate safety guidance in conjunction with DCMS and the SGSA [Sports Grounds Safety Authority], alongside undertaking a series of pilot events hosting up to 1,000 spectators in September, EFL clubs have already demonstrated that they are well positioned to deliver the safe return of fans.

“Exit analysis shows that those who attended pilot fixtures felt overwhelmingly safe and adhered to the necessary protocols and the EFL will continue its work with clubs to ensure that they have the most up to-date safety procedures in place to welcome supporters back as soon as the relevant restrictions are lifted.”

Photo: Pagepix

Europablue added 07:36 - Nov 24 Better late than never, but it is ridiculous that this has taken so long and we still won't allow business to continue and quarantine people who could have a test done before departure. It's almost as if they want to destroy businesses and disrupt people's lives as a way of looking like they are actually doing something.
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coolcat added 11:55 - Nov 24 Welcome news, MPs still need to vote on it but will likely be voted in. However, travelling to home games will depend on what tier you're in. In London where I live it will probably return to tier 2, so though a season ticket holder, I and many others in tiers 2 or 3, won't be able to go for a long while yet if Ipswich is in tier 1. itfc
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Les57 added 10:11 - Nov 25 Bad news forLambert. He will actually be able to hear how the fans think he is doing
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