If the UK stays on track in their quest to remove lockdown restrictions on June 21, UEFA will extend the deadline for finalizing attendance at the Wembley final of Euro 2020 in the hopes of raising capacity to a 90,000-strong crowd. Although the appearance of the Indian variant has shattered trust in Britain’s recovery from the pandemic during the last week, there is still hope that London will be able to host a sell-out crowd for the final.
Despite the problematic Indian pressure, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has given a new reason for optimism, telling Tory backbench MPs, “we can see nothing to suggest that we have to deviate from the road map.”
However, if there is a chance that England will be out of lockdown on June 21, it will become possible to sell more tickets for the final on July 11 in a shorter time frame. Manchester United sold 67,000 tickets in a short window for their FA Cup third-round replay against Wolves on January 23, 2020, when fans were allowed to physically spectate football matches. However, organizers and spectators face similar and significant obstacles when hosting a major international tournament during a pandemic.
Since the quantity of sold tickets outstrips currently planned capacity, football’s European governing body were required to contact fans. However, the situation in the United Kingdom shifts a week in week out, and if the government’s plan of action with respect to lifting the lockdown turns into a success, more people will be able to attend the final.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said that they are currently on pace with the road map, and the vaccine is being administered as scheduled. With a determination of achieving the lockdown lift on 21st June, the Prime Minister seems ‘cautiously optimistic’ of the developments.
With all the focus on getting the lockdown lifted as per the plan, the English government is fixated on achieving the highest possible capacity for the Euro final. Alongside this, there is a list of sports all in similar situations. There is Wimbledon, multiple eagerly-awaited cricket events, the British Formula One Grand Prix, the Betfred Rugby League Challenge Cup Final, and the Open golf tournament. In most cases, there has been a massive demand for tickets.
