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Stadium Capacity Limit to Be Lifted
Monday, 5th Jul 2021 18:45

Fans will return to Portman Road with no restriction in numbers when the 2021/22 season gets under way against Morecambe on Saturday 7th August.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced this afternoon that football grounds will not have their capacity limited by Covid rules from July 19th.

Johnson said: "We'll move away from legal restrictions and allow people to make their own informed decisions about how to manage the virus.

"From step four we will remove all legal limits on the numbers meeting indoors and outdoors.

"We will allow all businesses to reopen, including nightclubs, we will lift the limit on named visitors to care homes and the numbers of people attending concerts, theatre and sports events.”

EFL chief executive Trevor Birch said in a statement: “The EFL welcomes today's positive announcement by the Prime Minister that capacity restrictions are expected to be lifted later this month, which will allow us to finally press forward with our plans to see a full return of fans to EFL stadiums from the start of the new EFL season in just four weeks' time.

“Football has been planning for this outcome since the outset of the pandemic and having been forced to endure empty stadiums since March 2020, the message from EFL clubs is that we are ready to re-open and welcome fans back in numbers.

“From the EFL's own participants in the Events Research Programme and our clubs' extensive experience built up over many years, we are confident that all our clubs can successfully manage large scale events and we will continue to work with the Government on the guidance that will help support their matchday operations.

“Today's developments, of course, have been made possible by the staff at the NHS and countless medical experts and scientists who have helped develop and roll-out the vaccines.

“On behalf of the League and its membership, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for playing such an important role in helping re-open our sport and wider society.”

In the 2020/21 season, 2,000 fans were able to attend Town's home games against Portsmouth and Burton Albion but other than those matches, and the away fixture at Plymouth, all the Blues’ fixtures were played behind closed doors.

The last Portman Road match played in front of an unlimited crowd was the 1-0 defeat to Coventry City on March 7th 2020 when 18,825 watched the game.


Photo: Matchday Images



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trncbluearmy added 18:53 - Jul 5
Excellent, can`t wait

COYB
5

Ipswichbusiness added 18:54 - Jul 5
Good
2

Saxonblue74 added 18:55 - Jul 5
"Build it and they will come"!
4

Europablue added 19:08 - Jul 5
Great news, this season there will be more people wanting to go than the restrictions allowed last season.
2

Paperboymatt added 19:12 - Jul 5
It's news that will be very widely welcomed but I just hope that this doesn't send too many ppl crazy & spoiling it for so many others like myself that haven't been able to go & physically watch any. Hopefully all those entitled to the vaccines will have them if they haven't already...if it wasn't for that, we wouldn't be considering now...!
9

Oldboy added 19:14 - Jul 5
Great news. What a time to be a Town fan. I have missed going to my church for so long.
1

CavendishBlue added 19:16 - Jul 5
Splendid news!!!!

Now let's build a team and all get behind them for at least the next 2 seasons.

Oh and .....let's be sensible in FPR!!!!
6

1966 added 19:20 - Jul 5
No Jab no entry should be in place surely ?
18

DebsyAngel added 20:02 - Jul 5
Looking forward to it but also extremely nervous in case I get abuse for not wearing a mask. I have been doubly jabbed but will that be enough?
0

Pendejo added 20:07 - Jul 5
Count me in
2

NorthLondonBlue2 added 20:14 - Jul 5
While the evidence is clear that there is a reduced transmission risk in the open air, this is a clearly irresponsible move.

With our reduced attendance over the years, it would be straightforward to ensure proper distancing between fans and accommodate up to 15k at a time.

To just let everything go back to normal - the bars? the toilet queues? - is just insane.

We are going to look back on today with horror as the final stroke of idiocy from this utterly inept government.
-2

Linkboy13 added 20:21 - Jul 5
Fascinated by what the crowd will be. Would be great to get well over twenty thousand, perhaps that's being a bit optimistic as there are many fans that are going to take some persuading to come back. If we do get a good crowd it vital that we win and win with style to keep what ever new fans attend COYB.
2

essextractorboy93 added 20:28 - Jul 5
Great news! Going to be a big crowd
3

Mark added 20:41 - Jul 5
I am pleased live football is returning, but think we should wear masks in crowded areas until we take our seats (especially the bars, toilets, stairwells, and the bus to the ground). Please everyone have the vaccine. We need to keep everyone safe with cases rising fast, it would be awful to lose more ITFC fans to Covid.
21

bluethruandthru added 20:57 - Jul 5
lets get 30,000 in. morecambe would have a few lineker moments on the pitch.
0

BeattiesBackPocket added 21:02 - Jul 5
Northlondonblue2 it could've been worse Starmer could've been in charge? The guy that's agreed to everything and every measure the government made then complained when it went wrong even today asked what he'd do he couldn't offer anything. All as bad as each other but at the end of the day so long as you've had your double jab then you'll be okay those that don't want it are daft but it's only their own health they risk
4

ArnieM added 21:38 - Jul 5
What do we reckon our first home game attendance will be then?
0

stiffy501 added 21:39 - Jul 5
Out of curiosity anybody know how the season ticket sales are going ?
0

HalesworthBlue7 added 21:52 - Jul 5
How many season tickets have we actually sold ? It seems to range between 11,ooo and 16,ooo if we Knew we might be able to gauge what the crowd might be for first game . I say the more we can persuade to come with us the better, let's get Portman Road Rocking
2

HalesworthBlue7 added 21:52 - Jul 5
How many season tickets have we actually sold ? It seems to range between 11,ooo and 16,ooo if we Knew we might be able to gauge what the crowd might be for first game . I say the more we can persuade to come with us the better, let's get Portman Road Rocking
0

Gforce added 22:40 - Jul 5
Huge thanks to the scientists and the Nhs for all their hard work in helping us all get back to some sort of normality.You all deserve a medal.
6

FramlinghamBlue added 23:01 - Jul 5
If the ‘pandemic' has taught us anything, it's that people need to spend more time at school learning about science so they can make informed decisions in their own lives. Let's get back to normal!
2

KiwiBlue2 added 00:24 - Jul 6
I wish everyone going there the very best of luck and hope that things go well.
2

shakytown added 04:51 - Jul 6
Will be there in spirit at the start of hopefully a new era at Ipswich town and Portman road. Get behind the team and the club and who knows whats possible.
1

bluesteel added 07:21 - Jul 6
with 31 days to go to kick-off, and a predicted 50,000 cases a day on the 19th of july and a crowd of 30,000 with a lot of them with only one jab what could go wrong, boris?
4


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