Glorious Goodwood and World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre to include spectators under Government-backed pilot
Glorious Goodwood and the World Snooker Championship will both be played out in front of spectators in a Government-backed pilot.
UK prime minister Boris Johnson gave a speech on Friday morning in which he announced that the aim is to have fans back in stadia from October, and ahead of that both horse racing and snooker have been cleared to allow some spectators to marquee events in the coming weeks.
The Government said the "events have been carefully selected to represent a range of sports and indoor and outdoor spectator environments". Goodwood quickly confirmed that their intention is to open up to 'annual members and their guests'.
The World Snooker Championships begin on July 31 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, with Goodwood under way a day later. The county cricket friendly between Surrey and Middlesex on July 26 and 27 has also been earmarked.
A statement from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said the test events were taking place in order "to build up to and prepare for the full, socially distanced return of sporting events from October 1, 2020".
Sports minister Nigel Huddleston said: "For months, millions of us have felt the void of being unable to go to the match to support our team or attend a top-class sporting event. So I am pleased that we are now able to move forward with a plan to help venues safely reopen their doors to fans.
"I recognise that not every sport, team or club has the benefit of huge commercial revenue, and it is often their dedicated fans that are the lifeblood which helps keep them going. By working closely with sports and medical experts, these pilots will help ensure the safe return of fans to stadia.
"Although it will remain some time before venues are full to capacity, this is a major step in the right direction for the resumption of live spectator sport across the country."
Attendance at sporting events for the foreseeable future will be subject to a number of strict conditions.
These include venues being ordered to provide information on measures being taken to mitigate the risk of Covid-19 infection, a code of behaviour for spectators advising them to take a responsible approach, such as staying away if suffering from any symptoms of the virus, careful control of seat bookings to ensure social distancing is observed, providing alternatives to spectators to help them avoid using public transport and providing additional hygiene facilities.
Adam Waterworth, sport managing director at the Goodwood Estate, said: “We are delighted that the Qatar Goodwood Festival has been selected as a pilot event for the return of crowds. It marks an important day for the sports industry following a few challenging months.
“Our annual members have continued to support us throughout, for which we are enormously grateful. It is therefore fantastic to offer them the opportunity to witness racing on the Downs again.
“The Goodwood team will ensure the racecourse adheres to Government guidelines on social distancing and hygiene. We hope that this will be the next step in ensuring crowds for future sporting events.”
A statement from the Racecourse Association read: "British Horseracing welcomes today’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announcement that a small number of sporting events, including horse racing, will be used to pilot the safe return of spectators through late July and early August.
"The announcement also confirmed the horse racing pilot event will take place on 1st August at Goodwood Racecourse, as part of the Qatar Goodwood Festival.
"Attendance will initially be offered to Goodwood Racecourse Annual Members and their guests. The day will be carefully planned in conjunction with the local government and other relevant bodies to ensure that the event carries minimal risk to attendees and the local community.
"For all racegoers attending the event, a code of conduct must be acknowledged and agreed in advance. This sets out expectations on the behaviour and actions of everyone involved to maintain hygiene levels and social distancing, as well as outlining the facilities and initiatives put in place by the racecourse to enable this. Further information will be published in due course."
David Armstrong, RCA Chief Executive and Chair of the welcoming crowds industry group, commented: "We welcome the fact that horseracing is to be selected as one of the pilot events to welcome back crowds and my team and I acknowledge the great responsibility upon us.
"The safety protocols involved will be stringent and the Goodwood Racecourse team are in a fantastic place to implement them. The sport has come together to offer support to ensure the pilot event provides us with sufficient learnings that others may follow in time. These learnings will allow us to draft industry-wide protocols fir the wider scale return of crowds as soon as we are able.
"Crowds bring a wonderful atmosphere to a raceday and many businesses associated with racecourses are reliant upon them. I sincerely hope that all involved enjoy their day— our focus now turns to supporting the Goodwood team in what is a landmark day for the sport."