We need the fans back says Blackpool boss Neil Critchley

A petition set up this week by non-league Dorking Wanderers has gained well over 100,000 signatures, meaning the issue must now be debated in parliament.

Backed by the FA and EFL, the petition urges the government to rethink after shelving its plans to welcome reduced crowds back into grounds.

Under current guidelines, only clubs at the seventh level of the football pyramid (such as the Northern Premier League) and below are allowed to have fans inside grounds, though theatres and cinemas may still welcome customers.

Football clubs, especially those in the lower leagues and non-league, have been financially crippled by the lack of match-day revenue and the return of limited crowds would help to alleviating those problems.

Blackpool were among a handful of clubs to host a successful pilot event last month, when 1,000 fans attended the game against Swindon Town at Bloomfield Road.

Having proved supporters can return safely, Critchley says it’s now time for them to do so on a permanent basis, even if it is with reduced capacity.

“It’s of paramount importance to get fans back,” Critchley said. “You only have to read the reports in the media to see the implications this could have on clubs, particularly in League One and League Two. It could be potentially devastating.

“I for one support the petition because we have to find a way. Obviously it has to be done sensibly because safety is on top of the agenda. But the supporters are the lifeblood of the clubs and the community.

“You’re talking about the emotional and mental wellbeing of so many people in the area, who want to feel part of something and feel like they belong.

“They’re missing us and we’re missing them.

“With some of the things that are happening elsewhere in the country, it doesn’t seem to make sense that a percentage of your crowd can’t come back into an open-air environment in a completely safe space – like it was against Swindon only a few weeks ago.

“It was an unbelievable experience. It was such a special feeling before the game. You could sense in the dressing room before the game the lift it gave the players and the staff.

“It was only 1,000 but it seemed like a lot more, perhaps because we weren’t used to the crowd and the noise.

“It was really special when the goals went in – the singing and the chanting and getting right behind the team.

“It was a really special day and I think we were lifted by it. There was such a feelgood factor afterwards.”