FOOTBALL HOME AT LAST WITH A FRIENDLY AGAINST RACING CLUB WARWICK ON SATURDAY TO END MONTHS OF FRUSTRATION FOR FANS

SHEEPY ROAD COVID-CROWD LIMIT IS 150 AND IT'S 'FIRST COME FIRST SERVED', SAYS CLUB CHAIRMAN

FOOTBALL really is coming home as Atherstone Town CFC will be allowing supporters back through the gates again tomorrow for the first time since lockdown was introduced last March.

The FA this week announced updated guidelines that include a phased and limited return of spectators for clubs at steps three to six and tiers three to four respectively.

That means Adders fans can see their friendly against Racing Club Warwick on Saturday at Sheepy Road with a revised kick-off time of 2pm.

The news which all of the sport has been waiting to hear is a "one-step-a-time" approach with a limit of 150 supporters allowed in the ground for this fixture – rising to a maximum of 300 starting at the end of this month.

Watching football will be something of a Star Trek experience – "it's life, Jim but not as we know it" with Government protocols in place courtesy of the FA and Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport to include groups of no more than six gathering together, with other groups well spaced in between.

A track and trace system will be put in place, a one-way route to control the flow with sanitisers and hand washing facilities aplenty.

All supporters will be temperature checked on arrival and anyone registering 37.8C or above will be refused entrance.

The moves follows a petition signed by more than 10,000 football supporters and more than 30 MPs – including Atherstone MP Craig Tracey – calling on sports minister Nigel Huddleston for fans to be allowed back into smaller grounds, or risk them closing forever.

It means a distinction has been drawn between the return of fans to recreational sport and elite sport, where pilots are required before an intended expansion from the beginning of October.

But with the decision coming late in the week, Adders chairman Nick Corbett says the permitted 150 supporters will be on a "first come first served basis" at the gate.

He said: "The day you've all been waiting for is finally here . . . fans are back at The Mark Webster Community Stadium."

The Sheepy Road gate will open at 12.30pm for a 2pm start. Season tickets at £80 for adults and £45 concessions can be purchased on Saturday at the ground.

Atherstone are in fine fettle coming into this latest pre-season test.

In the space of three days they rattled in nine goals in friendlies against two Tamworth-based sides.

First up was a 3-1 victory against a young Tamworth side a week last Wednesday.

The game was all square on the hour but Tamworth took the lead on 65 minutes.

But the Adders were quick to respond before the drinks break with a 20-yard free kick from Sam Belcher.

Then it was all Adders. On 75 minutes, Isa Abraham had the ball in the back of the net but the linesman ruled offside before goals from Owen Ward and Joe Obi sealed the game for the Davies-Innes boys.

On Saturday, the Adders took on Joe Obi's old cohorts at Bolehall Swifts.

But they proved no match for a rampant Atherstone outfit who were 2-0 up inside five minutes with strikes from Alex Naughton and Mitch Thompson.

Ryan Quinn volleyed a third on 20 minutes and Adders went into the interval 4-0 up with a 30-yard belter from Sam Belcher

George Whitelaw pulled one back for the Swifts after the break but Tabang Dube made it 5-1 with a low-driven, left footed strike from the edge of the box and Naughton wrapped up a six of the best with a penalty in the final five minutes.