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

LegendofthePhoenix added 07:36 - Jul 6 bluesteel - you are bang on. As a health professional, I think what the government are now doing is going to produce a massive rise in cases. Personal responsibility?? There are still a few million people over 18 who have not had any jab at all, and the tragic fact is, this is going to lead to many more deaths mostly in that group. As a Town fan there is nothing I want to see more than PR rocking, but I am worried. Anyone who hasn't been vaccinated - please see the writing on the wall and go get a jab.

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Oldboy added 07:39 - Jul 6 DebsyAngel No masks needed.
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Paddy39 added 08:02 - Jul 6 I will still be wearing my mask. That little bit of extra protection all helps along with both jabs. Let's have a big turnout for our first home game. COYB's.
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braveblue added 08:14 - Jul 6 NorthLondonBlue2. Keep politics off these pages. This inept Government has funded, created and implemented the best vaccine programme in the world. When would you lift restrictions- never?
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Linkboy13 added 10:09 - Jul 6 It would be great if we could have a guess the crowd sweep stake with most of the money going to the NHS. It's a shame we're not playing some one like a Sunderland at home i could see a crowd of around twenty two to twenty three thousand. But Morecombe wont bring as many fans so it will probably be around nineteen thousand.
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PositivelyPortman added 10:34 - Jul 6 “I'll follow the science except when it suits me” -Johnson. Hopefully our promotion season doesn't get cancelled midway through the season.
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Wooly74 added 10:45 - Jul 6 Northhlondonblue!!! Are you for real Sir....We are going to look back on today with horror as the final stroke of idiocy from this utterly inept government! I would much rather have Boris is charge of this than the totally inept Labour joke. Corbyn would have ran away and hid somewhere (probably in Ireland) and Starmer has as much charisma as a wet flip flop washing up on the beach at Lowestoft! Damned if we do and damned if we don't, those utterly inept pandemic disbelievers are the ones that make me laugh, marching in the streets of London demanding their freedom. Its embarrassing and instead of clearly sticking to the rules, they have been partly to blame that it has taken us this long to try and get back to some normality. Oh and before i am challenged by those asking what i would know, i was part of the military crisis management team working in MAFF HQ back in 2001 during the Foot & Mouth Crisis and saw at first hand how difficult it is to make decisions (the then Laughable Labour party) when a pandemic first hits. Anyone in that position would have made mistakes and trust me when i say there were plenty mistakes made back then causing distress and heartache for thousands of farmers right across this great nation of ours. The difference back then, it was cattle and livestock not humans and it took the military to sort out the mess and get the country under control again. Millions of livestock were slaughtered as a result of poor decisions and delays, so please lets not come out with such ridiculous statements unless you actually have any idea what you are talking about! As for the actual post, i am sure that as sensible people, we will all take precautions as we roll out of the last awful 15 months. One thing is for sure, we are now the envy of most European neighbours for our vaccination roll out, even after BREXIT! If you don't agree, its simple really, stay at home and continue to be an armchair MP.

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Taricco_Fan added 13:06 - Jul 6 Not a moment too soon. Games should never have been behind closed doors for so long. Viral transmission outdoors is negligible.
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timetraveler added 14:11 - Jul 6 DebsyAngel You are concerned about getting abuse for not wearing a mask. A lot of us feel the same for wearing a mask. Also will those not wearing a mask be willing to wear one if the person next to them feels uneasy that they are not. The new health secretary said he would carry one for such an incident. The trouble is masks prevent spreading of infection from someone infectious but are not so effective at stopping a person being infected. That's why some or many will be concerned about those not wearing masks sitting next to them

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DebsyAngel added 16:04 - Jul 6 Tinmetraveler - at this rate, I will chucking my ticket and getting a pass for I Follow. I have hardly been out the last year and a quarter and my mental health and anxiety is beyond ever getting better. I wear a lanyard now as wearing a mask causes me great distress, and in town (the few shops I do visit weekly), have been treated with respect by the door staff, as they know full well my anxiety levels having seen it first hand. I want to try to go out more, and build up my confidence, but keep getting knocked back.

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bluesteel added 00:58 - Jul 7 can't see this not being reviewed before the season starts
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timetraveler added 11:55 - Jul 7 DebsyAngel I can well understand your concern and it has been tough over the last 15 months or so. I do hope that others respect your situation and the lanyard you will be wearing. We all need to respect each other in this. Hope all goes ok for you
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