MANCHESTER UNITED CAN safely host 23,500 fans at Old Trafford while maintaining social distancing to curb the spread of COVID-19, the Premier League club said on Wednesday, reports Reuters. After Manchester United’s 2-0 derby victory over Manchester City at Old Trafford in March, fans were barred from attending matches as per post-pandemic protocols.
“We spent around two months working with the government guidelines to… make sure we can have around 23,500 people in this stadium safely social distancing,” United’s chief operating officer Collette Roche told Sky Sports.
Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward urged the government to allow fans back into stadiums on an earnings call last week while expressing frustration with inconsistencies in the government’s approach.
United have reported an annual net loss of 23.2 million pounds ($30.24 million), with the club also saying they lost 70 million pounds in revenue in the year to the end of June due to coronavirus restrictions, reports Reuters.
