Chris Wilder asks ‘can I see my nan?’ as football prepares to bring back fans

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder admits he has been left confused by the pilot scheme allowing fans into grounds this weekend.

Eight English Football League matches are set to be played in front of crowds of up to 1,000.

That is after the Government granted the EFL permission for selected fixtures to be used as pilot events for the programme to reintroduce spectators to venues – on a socially-distanced basis – amid the coronavirus pandemic.

When asked about that, Wilder made reference to the ‘rule of six’ as he expressed his bemusement at the situation.

“I just don’t where we are with it all, I’ve got to say, I haven’t got a clue,” Wilder said ahead of his side’s Carabao Cup clash with Burnley.

“Am I allowed to see my nan? Am I allowed to see my mum? But then we can have 1,000 people in a ground but we can’t have 15,000 and then I can’t go and have a pint with my mates unless there’s only six of us.

“So I’ve got to say I’m like the majority of the people in this country – I have not got a clue what’s going off, haven’t got a clue.

“If anybody can help me… I’ll try and affect that game of football and help with the staff and the boys getting a result but everything else, all that other stuff, I ain’t got a clue.”

The games this weekend set to become the first professional league matches in England to be played in front of fans since March are Middlesbrough v Bournemouth, Norwich v Preston, Blackpool v Swindon, Charlton v Doncaster, Shrewsbury v Northampton, Hull v Crewe, Forest Green v Bradford and Carlisle v Southend.

Any social gathering of more than six people in England is against the law, with people facing fines if they do not abide by the new measure, which applies to both indoor and outdoor settings.