Cambridgeshire MP invites culture secretary to see for himself ‘intensely thorough’ plans to ensure safe return of fans at Peterborough United

Mr Vara was speaking in the House of Commons yesterday (November 12) as part of an adjournment debate he put forward called ‘Public attendance at Peterborough United FC home matches during the Covid-19 outbreak.’

A half-hour adjournment debate takes place at the end of each day in the Commons and allows an MP to raise an issue and receive a response from the relevant minister. In this case, Mr Vara put forward the argument to allow fans to return to the Weston Homes Stadium after the current lockdown and was answered by The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) Nigel Huddleston MP.

Mr Vara said: “After the lifting of the present restrictions I hope that very serious consideration will be given to opening up football stadiums in a limited manner, provided proper social distancing and safety measures are implemented.

“One crucial point, which I very much hope the minister will take on board, is that unlike many other types of venues that were previously allowed to open, Posh’s stadium, and football stadia generally, are in the open air and therefore that much more safe for fans and for all other attending.

“The city of Peterborough and the surrounding area benefits economically and socially from the club’s continued success, drawing in millions of pounds of revenue every year, helping local tourism and making a huge contribution through the Peterborough United foundation.

“Currently there is no income for Posh and it is therefore absolutely vital that they are allowed to generate some much needed revenue after such a long period without money coming in.”

Last month, Mr Vara, along with Peterborough MP Paul Bristow, met with Posh chief executive officer Bob Symns to discuss the club’s plans and in his speech, he detailed those plans.

The club are seeking permission for 4,000 season ticket holders to be allowed entry to the ground. The club has contact details for all of these people in the event they are needed for test and trace.

As for match day, the stadium would be deep cleaned both before and after the match, with entry and exit for the fans staggered. Signage and hand sanitizing stations have been put in place around the ground to help fans navigate the space in a safe way. There will also be ongoing cleaning of areas such as toilets, entrances, door handles and light switches, alongside goalposts and corner flags for the benefit of the players, with eight people at matches, specifically tasked with keeping the balls properly sanitized.

Mr Vara added: “The plans are intensely thorough and very detailed, covering all aspects as to how the stadium would operate on matchday with a reduced crowd and working on the basis of ensuring maximum safety of all concerned. The club has made risk assessments, put in place contingency plans, provided for the proper training of staff and ensured that there is an effective communication procedure. No detail has been overlooked.

“Darragh MacAnthony has assured me of his total determination to do whatever it takes to ensure that safety guidelines are adhered to. The safety of everyone is of paramount importance.

“Having read and considered the proposals, and after several conversations with Mr Symns, I can truly say that I believe Peterborough United have provided a template that can be safely used by any club throughout the country.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to invite the minister to come to the Posh stadium himself, challenge and ask Mr Symns and others about any concerns he has and above all, he can come and see the enormous work that has been put in place to ensure that Posh players can play safely and spectators can come and enjoy watching the matches.”

Another argument to support the case for allowing the fans back in was to give supporters a chance to pay their respects to Tommy Robson, who passed away last month, he was described as a much loved and admired Posh legend.

Mr Vara also used his speech to pay tribute to Councillor John Holdich ahead of his retirement, after more than 40 years of public service, this coming year, as well as the work done in the community by the Posh Foundation and their inclusion, in regards to the youth, female, deaf, amputee and walking football teams that the club supports.

In response, Mr Huddleston echoed the praise for the Posh Foundation, particularly for the food packages they have been delivering across the city, wished Posh luck for the rest of the season and confirmed the government’s commitment to opening stadiums up as soon as is safe to do so.

He said: “Football clubs such as Peterborough United are vital parts of their communities, they have unique social value and enjoy rich histories. I would be very keen indeed to take up the invitation to come and visit the club.

“I do completely understand the importance of getting fans back into sports stadia but rising infection rates across the country meant that, unfortunately, it was not the right time to proceed with a wider reopening on October 1 as we had planned.

“The government understands the financial consequences of this decision and is focusing our support on those in the sector most in need. As a result, the DCMS is working closely with the Treasury to create a support package and we will set out further details in due course. The EFL is currently in discussions with the Premier League about a support package and I am hopeful and optimistic that those discussions will come to a positive conclusion very shortly.

“The government is absolutely committed to continuing to support the sports sector in getting spectators back into stadia as soon as it is safe to do so. We have made significant progress since the start of the pandemic and have invited the Sports Technology Innovation Group (STIG) to analyse new technologies which might support the return of spectators.

We pressed the pause button, we intend to resume as soon as possible.”