The Premier League are unlikely to allow any away fans back into stadium crowds in the upcoming season, according to a report.

The Daily Mail claim away fans won’t be able to join reduced stadium crowds this season, despite plans for the return of fans to home grounds in October.

As we covered yesterday, Arsenal are hoping to welcome supporters back to the Emirates Stadium when they face Sheffield United on 3rd October.

Premier League chiefs are in the midst of constructive talks with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to finalise the details of such a return. As things stand, attendances will be at around 20 to 30 percent of normal.

But based on initial plans, none of that percentage will include away fans. That’s not particularly surprising, for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, getting away fans to games involves a lot of travelling across the country, often on public transport. That’s not exactly ideal for keeping the COVID spread risk down.

Secondly, policing two sets of supporters creates additional difficulties. You have to keep the fans apart inside and outside the ground and deal with any altercations. That means more security staff at the stadium and greater potential for fans coming into contact with each other.

There’s also the fact that having multiple sets of supporters will encourage them to sing and shout at each other, something the government are keen to avoid.

It’s probably going to be a while before we see full stadiums in the Premier League again. In the meantime, we need to take things step by step.