The petition has been signed by over 199,000 people; the debate is scheduled to get under way at 4.30pm on Monday and then last for 90 minutes; the current coronavirus restrictions makes any commitment from the Government to a return date unlikely
Wednesday 4 November 2020 11:16, UK
Members of Parliament will debate an e-petition on Monday, November 9 calling for the return of spectators to football stadia.
The petition, which has been signed by over 199,000 people, will see MPs debate at Westminster Hall as to whether supporters are allowed to be re-admitted to venues and what the timeframe could be.
Its author drew a comparison between France and Germany who saw small numbers of spectators return to matches, while England's proposed October return for fans was shelved following a rise in cases.
In Germany, however, fans have since been banned from attending fixtures under their current lockdown restrictions.
France are only allowing people to leave home for essential work or medical reasons as part of current measures that run until at least the end of November.
The petition outlined the importance of football to people's lives and their communities, providing a sense of belonging and employment.
In response, the Government initially said: "We will take the earliest opportunity to look again at getting spectators safely back into stadia but this must clearly be done carefully against the prevailing health conditions."
Since the Government's initial statement, the spread of coronavirus has worsened and new national lockdown measures in England have been announced - taking effect from Thursday, November 5 subject to a vote in the House of Commons.
Given this, and the current situation across Europe, it is unlikely the Government will commit to a specific date for fans to return.
