COVID-19: the return of football fans

Bond, Alexander John; Cockayne, David; Ludvigsen, Jan Andre Lee; Maguire, Kieran; Parnell, Daniel; Plumley, Daniel; Widdop, Paul; Wilson, Robert

doi:10.1080/23750472.2020.1841449

Cited by 42 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Subsequently, the UK government postponed the planned reintroduction of spectators in September 2020, with resumption set to begin on October 1st, 2020. This decision was made in response to the greater COVID-19 restrictions in the UK, after various clubs held test events with approximately 2,000 people 21 . However, due to the changes in the situation with COVID-19, the govt instructed sporting bodies that spectators would not be allowed into stadiums until at least March 2021.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Successful Resumption of Football Competition With Spectators During the Active Phase of COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences From A Rapidly Developing Country

Khan

Musleh

Abdurahiman

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Background: COVID-19 has interrupted professional sporting activities for more than a year and sent shockwaves across the society. Objectives: To evaluate the resumption of professional football event with fans and the likely spread of COVID-19 infections. Design: A retrospective observational studyMethods: The study involved football players, match officials, local organizing committee (LOC) members, working in close coordination, and over 16,000 spectators in the state of Qatar. We examined data from the Amir Cup final (December 18th , 2020), which was played under a strict protocol that included extensive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing for players and match officials, as well as the utility of COVID-19 rapid antigen testing and antibody testing as a tool for screening spectators to ensure their safe return to the stadiums. In addition, we reviewed the guidelines and protocols that were put in place to organize Qatar's Amir Cup Football Final, which drew over 16,000 fans in the stadium.Results: A total of 16171 spectators undertook rapid antigen and antibody tests for the Amir cup final (From Dec16-Dec18, 2020). Fifteen Spectators (n=15) returned with a positive result for COVID-19 infection during the final event (Positivity rate =0.12%). All players underwent RT-PCR testing 48 hours before the match. None of the players tested positive for Covid-19 infections. 1311 individuals reported having symptoms related to COVID-19 post final of Amir Cup. These spectators were tested for COVID-19 RT-PCR with an overall positivity rate (positive/reactive) to be 0.42% (69/16171).Conclusion: This report shows a meagre incidence rate of COVID-19 infections during and post-Amir Cup final, and based on this, it appears that during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the supervised and controlled resumption of football matches with spectators can be carried out safely following a strict testing and tracing protocol.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Successful Resumption of Football Competition With Spectators During the Active Phase of COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences From A Rapidly Developing Country

Khan

Musleh

Abdurahiman

et al. 2021

Preprint

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“…This, in turn, is likely to influence the overall impact of the event for Japan, who, like previous hosts, seek inbound tourists (and the income they bring), a change in their image abroad (to a more 'outward' and less 'inward' looking society) and an economic upswing due to the event. While Bond et al (2020) are correct in their assessment of the economic impact of the missing fans in football stadia, it is the psychological aspect of sport 'without spectators' that leads to the loss of a necessary 'feelgood' factor for sports fans. From December on a maximum of 4000 fans will be allowed at sporting events, a tenth of the average Premier League match.…”

Section: Sport Without Spectatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of Covid-19 on sport

Grix

Brannagan

Grimes

et al. 2020

International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics

120

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The Covid-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on society, leading to a rapid closure of businesses, places of work, worship, social engagement, schools and universities. Sport is often seen-along with the arts-as a trivial pursuit, categorised under 'hobbies' or things to do once the serious business is over. However, this critical commentary argues that sport and sports events play a crucial social role even under normal circumstances. To this end we analyse the impact of Covid-19 on three areas of sport: first, the nature of elite sport played 'without spectators' is discussed and what this means for the necessary 'feelgood' factor associated with watching and following it; second, we look at Covid's impact on the provision of sport for those in less well-off areas, drawing on a case study of Oldham during the pandemic. Finally, we analyse the severe economic and social impact of the pandemic on grassroots sports, including the relationship between mass and elite sport. This commentary seeks to stimulate wider interest on how Covid-19 has changed sport at elite and grassroots level and how the pandemic has led to differential outcomes for people from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. Based on the above, the commentary assesses the likely longterm consequences of the Coronavirus pandemic on sport.

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“…The drastic elimination of the spaces in which fans and athletes interact (Bond et al 2020;Mastromartino et al 2020) was both necessary and indispensable; the measure was shared and applied without encountering any problems. This need is less pronounced in youth or second tier competitions where the presence of the public is felt to a lesser degree.…”

Section: Limited or Inhibited Contact With The Publicmentioning

confidence: 99%

How the Covid-19 Pandemic Influenced the Approach to Risk Management in Cycling Events

Bazzanella

Muratore

Schlemmer

et al. 2021

JRFM

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The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us to live in social isolation and has brought an important element of social life, the events industry, to a complete standstill. In resurrecting the events industry, the most urgent focus is on managing the risk of any crowd-control measures with a view to reducing to zero the danger of the virus spreading. This research focuses on the main issue of the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the organization of sports events (SEs), and in particular, cycling competitions. This study, therefore, aims to provide deeper insights into (a) the measures introduced to face the health emergency situation in cycling events, (b) the comparison of these measures with previous experiences in similar SE contexts, and (c) the possible evolution of organizational models for cycling events in the post-pandemic era. Fifteen semi-structured interviews with cycling athletes, managers, and officials constitute the methodological basis for this study. The results show that countermeasures have been taken that are effective in dealing with pandemic characteristics and are likely to be applied in the future, while others will be phased out or used again only when necessary. This study enhances scientific knowledge by analyzing a renewed approach to risk management for SEs, with a specific focus on pandemics and medical risks. Finally, the study shows that cycling events need to adapt the specifics of such a new approach to the standards projected on future scenarios for which the COVID-19 pandemic has paved the way.

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COVID-19: the return of football fans

Cited by 42 publications

References 8 publications

Successful Resumption of Football Competition With Spectators During the Active Phase of COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences From A Rapidly Developing Country

Successful Resumption of Football Competition With Spectators During the Active Phase of COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences From A Rapidly Developing Country

The impact of Covid-19 on sport

How the Covid-19 Pandemic Influenced the Approach to Risk Management in Cycling Events

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