The Welsh Government have today announced that, in line with their Covid-19 restrictions, fans will not be allowed to attend their home fixture against Blackburn Rovers for January 15th.
This will be Cardiff City’s first league game behind closed doors since the new Welsh Restrictions were announced in late December, with the Bluebirds having already played Preston North End in the third round of the FA Cup without fans being able to attend, where they won by two goals to one after extra time.
The club made the announcement “with further disappointment”, expressing their collective dismay at having to play without fan attendance. Cardiff and Swansea are currently the only teams in the EFL Championship to have to abide by such restrictions, as they only apply to Wales.
This is made all the more puzzling when considering that England’s restrictions have not affected football clubs and their ability to allow fans into stadiums, which means that Cardiff fans could still technically travel to away games which take place in a country with higher Covid-19 figures, despite not being able to see their side play at home.
Needless to say, the announcement was met by frustration from the fans, which is all aimed at Mark Drakeford and the Welsh Government as a whole.
One fan pointed out the hypocrisy in the restrictions, saying “We can’t watch Blackburn Rovers at home on the 15th of January but we can take 3k fans to Bristol City on the 22nd and 8/9k fans to Liverpool two weeks later? Absolute farce”.
Another pointed out the damage it could cause to the club financially, saying “Unless the Welsh government does something then a lot [of Welsh clubs] face the horrible realisation of going bankrupt”.
Fans of other clubs have also commented on the matter with similar outrage, with one Middlesbrough supporter saying “Hope you get your fans back soon, every club needs support.
One Peterborough United supporter echoed the sentiment, saying “Feel for the fans with this pointless and ridiculous decision to play behind closed doors”.
It is important to iterate that the Welsh Government and their team of advisers will always act how they see fit, in accordance with the data that they are given and the steps they feel need to be taken to reduce the spread of Covid-19, so this stance is not being put into question by me.
What is being highlighted though, is the universal backlash that the decision brings, which is undeniable.
Owen Gardner's Sports Blog 