FIRST STEP ISN'T THE HARDEST!

When news broke that Non-League football was being granted “a phased and limited return” for paying spectators, my emotions were a combination of relief and frustration.

- Mark Harris

Relief that, after weeks of discussion and proposals to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), it took a combination of pressure from MPs, the #LetFansIn campaign and a lot of hard work by the FA to get the green light. Frustration that the initial announcement raised more questions than it answered, especially around how many fans would be allowed to return, and when.

The next morning brought clarity and good news for some, but not all. The phased return applies to clubs at Steps 3-6 of the NLS and will initially take place in two phases. In the first, up to 15% of clubs’ capacity can be admitted, rising to 30% on August 31 when Phase 2 kicks in. These percentages are based on the minimum capacity at the NLS step in which the club plays.

This means that Step 4 clubs can admit 200 fans initially, rising to 400 from August 31. Step 3 can admit up to 300 fans to start with, rising to 600.

For 90 per cent of NPL clubs, this isn’t a problem. Most average attendances are well within these limits, but for our best-supported clubs, these limitations will pose real problems.

Last season, South Shields’ averaged 1,671 at home games. FC United of Manchester 1,668 and Scarborough Athletic 1,001. Ilkeston Town and Workington averaged 498 and 485 respectively at Step 4. At least two of these clubs have sold more season tickets than their temporary crowd limits, not including walk-up or away fans.