LETTER: 'Football match followed rules' says Imran Ahmad Khan MP
Re: David Hinchliffe’s letter in last week’s Express
Outdoor team sports are exempt from the ‘group of 6’ rule however all participants must follow all FA and government guidance however supporters, parents and other spectators should remain socially distanced whilst attending events.
Specifically, spectator groups must be restricted to discrete six-person gathering limits and spread out, in line with wider government guidance, ensuring space for officials, coaches and substitutes.
The FA, alongside DCMS, have set out a gradient Two Stage Step System from 3 to 6. After consultation with the FA, Wakefield AFC were requested to abide by Step 6 assuming a maximum ground capacity of 1000 and a Stage 2 threshold of 30 per cent capacity.
The total capacity of the stadium used for the game was 9,850 – close to ten times the assumed maximum capacity for Step 6 and this allowed the event to go above and beyond the minimum compliance requirements set by government guidelines in relation to social distancing.