Outdoor sports events including football, tennis, and golf will be allowed to resume from 29 March, with leisure centres and swimming pools reopening on 12 April.
In April, the government will run a series of pilot events, one of which is expected to be football’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley on 25 April. If the pilots are successful, it paves the way for up to 10,000 people or 25% of seating capacity (whichever is lower) to be allowed in outdoor stadiums from 17 May. Indoor venues will be permitted with up to 1,000 people or 50% capacity (whichever is lower) from the same date.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, "The turnstiles of our sports stadia will once again rotate.”
All going well, the roadmap will allow some big summer events to take place with spectators in attendance, including the closing games of the Premier League, Euro 2020, Wimbledon tennis tournament, the British Formula 1 Grand Prix, and golf’s The Open.
From 21 June, the aim is to remove all limits on social contact and reopen the remaining venues to full capacity.
The announcement was widely welcomed by major sports bodies. However, Swim England and England Golf did express they felt the time scales were too slow.
The government has stressed that the roadmap will be based on “data not dates” and all openings are subject to the success of the ongoing Coronavirus vaccination program. The announcement follows early signs that the UK’s ambitious vaccination schedule is starting to pay off with new cases and deaths beginning to fall.
As we approach almost a year since countries around the world began to introduce national lockdowns and in turn bring an end to sporting events, this news has created excitement amongst sports fans. Early reports show that there has been an immediate upsurge in demand for tickets and travel since the news broke.