Lewes FC Women to trial return of crowds in weekend friendly

Lewes FC Women have been chosen by the government to trial the return of crowds this weekend. The Rooks take on the London Bees on Sunday 30 August.

The department for Culture, Media and Sport have selected Lewes to test out protocols for the safe return of fans to football.

100 spectators will be welcomed back to The Dripping pan.

Lewes FC Women in Training.

Fans will have to declare good health, take a temperature check on the gate and maintain social distancing.

Lewes FC said all the protocols will be carried out in their “usual friendly way”.

“A successful test will hopefully see the number [of spectators] rise in the future”.

The club has also said plans are underway for fans to return to men’s matches.

Lewes FC, The Dripping Pan.

Lower league clubs and the women’s game face financial uncertainty after matchday revenue ceased due to Covid-19.

“The average attendance for our men’s and women’s, which are now up to about the same level, is about the 600 mark.
We’re not talking tens of thousands like in the Premier League. But nevertheless that’s a line of revenue which has been reliable for us for the last few seasons.”

“So if we can’t get 600 but we can get 300 or 400, then you can already see that at best, is half the revenue,” Lewes Director, Charlie Dobres, told Latest TV.

BREAKING NEWS: Govt/FA include Lewes FC in first tests for return of fans. https://t.co/drN26nniy8

— Lewes FC Women (@LewesFCWomen) August 26, 2020

The announcement comes after Lewes FC launched a campaign to redistribute FA Cup prize money.

The club is calling for teams in the final three rounds to pass up on the prize money.
In the past five years, only Premier League clubs have made it to this stage of the competition.

“Nearly £14 million of the prize money, nearly half, goes to those three rounds…Let’s just cut that money because the Premier League clubs that win it, they don’t really need it.
The people that need it, who are in financial crisis, are lower league clubs and women’s clubs, the ones particularly not associated with Premier League clubs, which is most,” Lewes Director Charlie Dobres told Latest TV.