Australia sets the example for return of sports fans
Australia is setting the example for British sports stadiums when it comes to getting significant crowds back watching the action. But Manchester, and Britain as a whole, could well have a long wait to enjoy exactly what Aussies are experiencing Down Under.
Australia is setting the example for British sports stadiums when it comes to getting significant crowds back watching the action. But Manchester, and Britain as a whole, could well have a long wait to enjoy exactly what Aussies are experiencing Down Under.
While small numbers of crowds have been permitted to head back into Premier League grounds at clubs not in Tier 3 areas in England, as well as horse racing tracks, the numbers are still minute when you consider Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium pull in more than 50,000 when full.
It seems likely to be a long time off before stadiums are packed to the rafters again. But Australia, parts at least, are already there. Australian horse racing tracks like Randwick and Rosehill Racecourses in Sydney and Flemington and Caulfield Racecourses in Melbourne are being run with the type of crowds that the likes of Cheltenham and Aintree would love.
And sporting venues have had even bigger crowds. A total of 30,000 got to view the AFL Grand Final in Brisbane in October, while 37,303 packed into ANZ Stadium in Sydney the following day for the NRL Grand Final.
Unsplash
The Bledisloe Cup rugby union clash between New Zealand and Australia at Eden Park in Auckland attracted 46,049 spectators in October as the flow of fans back into stadia also extended to across the Tasman Sea too.
In November, it was a massive crowd of 52,500 that lined Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane for the State of Origin decider between hosts Queensland and rivals New South Wales. Significantly, the partisan home crowd helped their state to victory.
Then in early December, 48,000 packed into the Sydney Cricket Ground for the third and final T20 international between Australia and India.
New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian and her government permitted 50 per cent capacity, followed by 100 per cent – the 48,000 crowd – with the promise that “life will be very different in New South Wales”. It’s something we can still only dream about.
A further 27,000 a day will be inside the Adelaide Oval for the first test between the two nations too – with the South Australian government still opting for 50 per cent capacity. It will see 25,000 a day inside the MCG in Melbourne for the Boxing Day test with the Victorian government opting not to throw caution to the wind after months of lockdown.
How did Australia get to the point of having full, or near full, stadiums once again? The answer – just as is the case here in the UK – is based on the coronavirus cases. With each of the states reacting incredibly early with lockdowns and severe restrictions on the back of just a handful of outbreaks, they managed to get on top of the outbreak and stay on top of it.
Michael Lee / Unsplash
So what can football clubs, race tracks and the like expect here in Britain to be able to do to follow the Australian example? The simple answer is not a lot until we, as a country, get on top of the outbreak numbers.
Strict quarantine rules on international arrivals and travellers between states in Australia has meant a zero new case count on all fronts. The 0 led to 50,000+ sitting inside of stadium for the first time since pre-March.
While the rules in the UK have been relaxed to let small crowds back, other than those in Tier 3 areas, capacity crowds still look some way off. Perhaps even next year, given just how different the positive case numbers differ between Australia and the entire British Isles.
Premier League fixtures, the Cheltenham Festival, Grand National, even the delayed Euro 2020 look highly likely of taking place with half-empty stadia at best. Until the rest of the world matches Australia’s success in suppressing coronavirus, the roar of a full stadium still looks an awful long way off.
Sport
British rock and mod icon Paul Weller stars in advert for new Oasis x Bohemians football kit
Danny Jones
The music and football shirt crossovers just keep coming thick and fast – and that’s just Oasis alone, as Bohemians FC have released a new collaboration with the legendary Britpop band, looping in none other than Paul Weller for the grand unveiling.
Bohemians share a strong connection with the Gallagher brothers due to their Irish roots, as do Manchester and the ‘Emerald Isle’ in general.
However, it doesn’t get much bigger than Oasis and with the Live ’25 reunion shows now just days away (we can hardly believe it either), Bohemians have decided to hop on the bandwagon too and steal some of that ‘band with the three stripes’ buzz for themselves.
Not to be too keen, but can we have 10 of them, please?…
Is this another instant hit? We’d say so, yeah.
Shot by Jamie Goldrick to the sound of cult favourite Definitely Maybe track, ‘Married with Children’, the Oasis x Bohemians kit reveal video was filmed at Cross Guns Snooker Hall: the oldest snooker club in Dublin City, which still remains an important community cornerstone.
As well as starring UK rock and mod culture icon, Paul Weller, perhaps the best bit about the FAI Cup shirt and this whole partnership is the charitable element behind it.
Just like with their Fontaines shirt, which helped supply medical aid across Palestine, the limited edition jersey will help generate crucial money for two key causes.
The first of which is the domestic non-profit organisation, Music Generation Ireland, the country’s national music education programme, which helps children and young people access vocal and instrumental tuition locally.
Secondly, funds will also be diverted to the Irish Community Care Manchester, located along Stockport Road in Levenshulme – further strengthening the mutual support between us Mancs and our cousins across the water.
You can get a close look at the Oasis x Bohemians kit design down below.
A closer look at our 2025 FAI Cup Shirt, a very special partnership with Oasis.
— Bohemian Football Club (@bfcdublin) July 1, 2025
The special edition and highly exclusive shirt is already available, with stock already disappearing rapidly thanks to Bohs die-hards, Oasis fans and footy kit connosieurs alike.
With the Burnage boys getting their seismic comeback shows underway with two nights at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff this Friday and Saturday (4-5 July), before heading for a double bill at Croke Park in Dublin this August, the excitement across the globe is already palpable.
Every single teaser trailer and social media post sends fans bananas, and god knows what the scenes are going to be like when they finally head to Heaton Park for the run of five homecoming nights.
Featured Images — Bohemians FC (press images/screenshots via YouTube)
Sport
Pep Guardiola aims not-so-subtle dig at ‘destructive’ FIFA Club World Cup
Danny Jones
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is the latest to voice his concerns surrounding the ongoing 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, delivering a not-so-subtle dig at the competition.
Ahead of Man City‘s round of 16 match against Al Hilal in this year’s Club World Cup, of which they won all their group stage games, the Catalan head coach has once again come out to criticise the increasingly congested fixture calendar.
His comments come after former Liverpool manager and now Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull, Jürgen Klopp, labelled the current off-season summer run of matches “the worst idea ever.”
Somewhat echoing his statement – or at the very least aligning with it (albeit indirectly) – Pep Guardiola gave his two cents also, claiming that the now extended, 32-team tournament could “destroy” his squad and their fortunes in the next campaign.
Clearly, Pep is far from the biggest of fan of the recently refreshed format, even despite having won the thing on four occasions in the past – the most recent being with Manchester City back in 2023.
Reflecting on what impact he fears the Club World Cup may have on his team next season, Guardiola said: “I try not to think about it, otherwise I will be so anxious. We will rest [for as much time as] the Premier League allows us to.
“And game by game, month by month, we will see. And maybe in November, December, January, ask me, Pep. I may say: ‘So listen, we are a disaster. We are exhausted. The World Cup destroyed us.’ I don’t know, but it’s the first time in our [lives] that that’s happened [a 32-team CWC]. So we will see…”
Unpredictable weather in the United States, where the action is being hosted, has also been the subject of outrage in some cases, with Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca stating, “It’s a joke! It’s not football”, after a major storm delay mid-game pushed meant that one of their games took five hours to finish.
The 54-year-old also insisted that those who were against the tweaked concept “fought a lot” here in England, in UEFA meetings and so on, as was the case with the revision of the new layout of the Champions League, but to no avail.
Jurgen Klopp: "NBA player earns a lot of money & has 4 months of rest per year. Van Dijk didn't even have that in his entire career. Tournaments such as the Club World Cup cannot take place at the expense of players" [Die Welt]
Regarding Klopp, who set this latest chain of criticism, he claims that whoever wins the 2025 Club World Cup is ultimately “pointless” and will be “the worst winner of all time because they’ll have played all summer and then gone straight back into the league.”
In his eyes, the decisions are being made by people who have “never been involved” with the pressure of day-to-day life in professional football and the physical toll of multiple competitions, in particular.
As for who might win the 2025 CWC, it could very well be Man City for a second time, as the Blues are the only team remaining that has a 100% win ratio this year, having most recently thrashed Juventus 5-2 in their last game.
Nevertheless, it seems that the stance of Klopp, Guardiola, Maresca and more is pretty plain: this particular tournament will go down in the record books for the wrong reasons, and they won’t be happy until the format is revisited.
Do you agree with Pep and co. on the Club World Cup controversy?
The Manc -
21st December 2020 
