West Ham fans won't be able to attend their visit of Manchester City at Saturday lunchtime but they can watch it at their local Vue cinema half a mile away.
More than 20 Vue cinemas are screening Premier League fixtures over the next two weeks and one of those is in Westfield Stratford shopping centre.
For £6.99, supporters can go and watch the 12:30 kick-off on the big screen. More than 100 fans are allowed to socially distance in the screening - which is taking place just a 12 minute walk away from where the game is being played at the London Stadium.
More than 20 Vue cinemas will screen live Premier League football over the next two weeks... pic.twitter.com/AZU65wBEYc
— Ollie Bayliss (@Ollie_Bayliss) October 23, 2020
There's a no-singing/chanting rule, as well as face masks being required for anyone not eating and drinking. Despite other countries such as Germany now allowing some fans back in, Premier League games are still being played in front of empty stadiums.
But news of West Ham fans being able to be in cinema but not the open-air ground for their next fixture, coupled with the fact that some Arsenal fans paid £50 to watch their trip to Manchester City in the hospitality areas of the Emirates, has brought about plenty of backlash.
West Ham vs #ManCity will be shown in several Vue cinemas including in the Westfield Stratford centre, which will be able to admit 100+ fans for £6.99 each - a few minutes’ walk from where the match will be taking place in an empty stadium.
— Man City Xtra (@City_Xtra) October 22, 2020
[@martynziegler/@TimesSport]
Tom Pendry, president of the Football Foundation, told The Times: "This vividly illustrates the complete and utter nonsense of the situation. I intend to get a full debate on this in the House of Lords."
The #LetFansIn petition garnered nearly 200,000 signatures and was backed by both the Premier League and Football League.
The official response from the government, specifically the department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, read: "We will take the earliest opportunity to look again at getting spectators safely back into stadia but this must clearly be done carefully against the prevailing health conditions.
"The government is fully aware of the importance of getting spectators back and the financial consequences not to allow this from October 1.
"The evidence received from the Chief Medical Officer was very clear, at a time of rapidly rising infections. It was not the right time to undertake easements."
source https://www.sportbible.com/football/news-west-ham-fans-can-watch-game-against-manchester-city-half-a-mile-away-20201023
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