Yorkshire CCC optimistic for spectators to return to Headingley by mid-August

The club’s chief executive Mark Arthur is optimistic that members will be allowed to watch the game against Derbyshire at Emerald Headingley in the Bob Willis Trophy from August 15.

Arthur believes that Yorkshire could safely accommodate up to 4,000 socially-distanced spectators in the 18,350-capacity ground as part of an ongoing government pilot scheme to test the safe return of fans to elite sport.

Surrey successfully accommodated 1,000 spectators at their pre-season friendly against Middlesex at the Oval, with Warwickshire set to follow suit in today’s friendly against Worcestershire at Edgbaston.

A second phase of cricket pilots will take place on Saturday when up to 2,500 spectators will be allowed to watch the first two days of the Bob Willis Trophy fixtures between Surrey and Middlesex at the Oval and Warwickshire and Northamptonshire at Edgbaston.

As clubs become increasingly proficient at handling the various safety measures needed, it is hoped that more successful trials will lead to a gradual upping of capacity and the hosting of T20 Blast matches to crowds in late August/September.

Other spectator pilot projects include the World Snooker Championship, which starts at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre on Friday, as the government eyes the wider return of spectators to stadiums in England from October 1.

Yorkshire play three home matches in their five-game Bob Willis Trophy north campaign, with Lancashire visiting Headingley from August 22 and Leicestershire from September 6, although fixtures for the T20 Blast have yet to be announced due to the evolving nature of events surrounding potential crowd figures.

“We’re in the fortunate position that our first home game isn’t until the 15th of August and hopefully by then things will be a lot clearer and more pilots will have taken place,” said Arthur.

“They’ve gone very well so far, and we’re hopeful that we will be part of this ongoing pilot scheme from that date.

“We’re encouraged to hear that they’re going up to 2,500 (spectators) at both the Kia Oval and Edgbaston this weekend, which is great news.

“We will be guided by the pilots that take place between now and August 15, but we would like to think that we could manage a socially-distanced crowd at Emerald Headingley of up to 4,000 for a game in the Bob Willis Trophy.”

Yorkshire’s members and those from the visiting county would get priority in terms of entry to games at Headingley. The average crowd for a day’s County Championship cricket at the ground is around 2,500, with the Bob Willis Trophy replacing the Championship this year as a one-off.

Arthur is mindful not only of the financial importance of cricket returning to something like normal but also of the well-being of Yorkshire’s members and supporters. Ten months and counting without live cricket is a long time for a passionate, loyal fan base.

“I very much feel for our members and other spectators who have been starved of cricket,” he said.

“I think those of us who have watched the football and cricket that has been played behind closed doors on television recently certainly appreciate the value of having a crowd, however limited it might be, both for the atmosphere of the game and the spectators themselves.

“We’ve got to remember that county cricket offers many people, especially the older generation who can suffer with loneliness and so on, a lot of enjoyment and that it’s also a very good remedy for some of the issues that individuals face.

“We feel that we can keep them all safe by monitoring things like washrooms and queues for the refreshments, and so on, and very much look forward to welcoming them back.”

Arthur has been part of a huge logistical effort by county administrators and staff up and down the country who have done a great job in getting cricket back on when it seemed, at one stage, as though the entire county season could be lost.

He paid tribute to his talented and hard-working staff.

“It’s been a tremendous effort by everyone,” he said. “At Yorkshire, Sam Hinchliffe, as our operations director, has headed things up – he’s our Covid-19 officer – and he and his team have worked tirelessly to get us to this stage.

“Cecilia Allen, in the cricket operations department, has also done a sterling job in making sure that everything’s in place under the new guidelines for the safety of our players, the opposition players, the cricket staff, and so on.

“I can’t praise all of the staff enough, and hopefully we can now look forward to some enjoyable cricket.”

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