British prime minister Boris Johnson has said that he is hopeful of having supporters back inside stadiums by October.

Every Premier League match since the lockdown has been played behind closed doors due to the ongoing health crisis. Trials with limited numbers of fans are expected to begin in August and Johnson has said the aim is to have people returning to sporting venues in the next few months:

“We will pilot larger gatherings in venues like sports stadiums with a view to a wider reopening in the autumn. From October, we intend to bring back audiences in stadiums.”

“Again, these changes must be done in a Covid-secure way, subject to the successful outcome of pilots.”

Of course, a lot depends on what happens with COVID-19 infection rates. As things stand, the situation is improving but there is predicted to be a second wave over the winter.

The British government has allocated an extra £3billion to the National Health Service in the UK in order to prepare for a significant increase in cases before the end of the year.

Were that to happen, any plans for fans returning to stadiums would be put on the back burner, and it remains to be seen how things will play out over the coming weeks and months.