Chelsea boss Lampard wants ‘level playing field’ for stadiums with London set to go into Tier 3

Frank Lampard wants football crowds to be exempt from the coronavirus tier system – with Chelsea matches set to move back behind closed doors due to London’s rise into Tier 3.

Chelsea have been able to play two home games in front of 2,000 supporters – against Leeds United in the Premier League and Russian outfit Krasnodar in the Champions League – with London operating under Tier 2 restrictions following last month’s announcement of the regional system.

However, the capital has been confirmed that it will be moving into Tier 3 from midnight on Wednesday morning – less than 48 hours time – resulting in Chelsea having to play home games behind closed doors again. 

Speaking before the decision, Lampard believed clubs have proved they can safely accommodate a small number of supporters regardless of which tier they are in and said: ‘Let’s get it right, we are making it up as we go along because we’ve never been in this position before.

‘And I think when you are talking about if clubs can control the situation, then I think that they’ve shown so far that they can.

‘So I would like to have thought that something could be done to make it exempt where we can get that 2,000 number in. But that goes above my station, I’m just saying what I think.’

Asked if it will be hard for his players to lose the backing of fans having been briefly allowed to play in front of them again, Lampard said: ‘Yeah, I think it will be. I’m slightly disappointed.

‘Even though we’ve been in Tier 2 and had fans in for a couple of games, I did feel that it should have been a level playing field with fans if some clubs can have them and some can’t.

‘We’ve seen already and felt it, the backing that they give you and what it does to the game and I think that should be pretty level.

‘I also think we can control 2,000 fans coming into a stadium if they are coming from within a tier or whatever to keep things moving along. So it’s unfortunate to say the least.’  

Classified as Tier 2, London had been allowed to hold events of up to 2,000 people outdoors and 1,000 inside but that will now all change with London in Tier 3.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed the news on Monday afternoon. He will lead a Government press conference this evening.

The move, opposed by many MPs and firms, could devastate businesses just days before Christmas, with pubs, restaurants and culture venues closed, while shoppers from Tier 2 zones would be barred from shopping in its major retail hubs like Oxford Street.  

The Government agreed to review the tier levels every two weeks at the latest after they were introduced on December 2, in order to pass the legislation needed in the face of a backbench rebellion. 

Already, Downing Street had rejected London Mayor Sadiq Khan suggestions that schools could be closed early for Christmas and reopen later in January in order to control the spread of the virus, with online lessons to replace missed classes.

He also called for mass testing in schools to help identify outbreaks and for greater Government support if the capital moves into the highest tier.

The Labour mayor said imposing the toughest tier across the capital would be a ‘blunt instrument’, arguing that the rise in cases was not linked to hospitality venues but instead due to a significant increase in schools and colleges.

Mr Khan had said ministers could use a meeting on Monday to decide London’s status rather than wait for Wednesday’s review of the allocation of tiers across England.

The mayor told Sky News this morning: ‘My understanding is that Covid-O is meeting as we speak – that’s the sub-committee of the Cabinet that makes the recommendations.

‘We will have to wait and see what the Government decides – it’s a Government decision, not my decision or London leaders’ decision.’

Mr Khan said ‘it’s possible’ that a decision will be made today ‘because we have seen over the last few days a big increase in the virus’.

But he added: ‘It’s worth looking where the virus is spreading faster and it’s worth looking at the areas where we have seen the biggest increase.

‘It’s worth them asking themselves the question: whether a move to Tier 3 is a blunt instrument that doesn’t really address in a laser-like fashion where we are seeing the biggest problems.’ 

Mr Khan said there had been ‘significant’ coronavirus outbreaks among 10 to 19-year-olds in the capital, and that Government must consider asking schools and colleges to close early ahead of Christmas and reopen later in January.

He said all schools and colleges across London should be given ‘priority testing’ from today and Tuesday.

Schools in Greenwich, south-east London, have already been asked to move to online learning from Tuesday. 

In his letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Khan said the seven-day case rate had risen in 32 local authority areas in the capital compared to the previous week.

There were also 17 boroughs where the seven-day rate exceeded 200 cases per 100,000 people.

According to the latest figures, the borough of Havering has the highest coronavirus rate in London, with 1,314 new cases recorded in the seven days to December 9 – the equivalent of 506.3 cases per 100,000 people.

This is up from a rate of 321.3 in the seven days to December 2. 

A move to Tier 3 would see almost 14,000 pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes in the capital forced to close or be restricted to takeaway or delivery services.