British lawmakers to debate call by 200,000 fans to re-open football terraces to supporters

LONDON -- Almost 200,000 fans in Britain have signed a public petition calling on lawmakers to end football clubs being forced to play games behind closed doors.

Parliamentary officials at the House of Commons announced Wednesday that MPs will debate on Monday, a petition relating to spectator attendance at football matches during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announced it will be sending a government minister to the debate to respond to the petitioners.

Organizers of the petition want the government to allow fans at all levels, including the top-tier Premiership and Championship leagues.

The petition states: "Football is a powerful tool of which allows a range of benefits such as employment, and other important aspects of life. Football can be associated with passion, emotion, excitement and dedication across the community. With Fans attending football games a range of economic benefits are there too."

Responding to the petition, the government said: "We will take the earliest opportunity to look again at getting spectators safely back into stadia but this must clearly be done carefully against the prevailing health conditions."

Ahead of the parliament debate, politician Jonathan Gullis held a virtual 'roundtable' meeting with the creator of the petition, football coach Ashley Greenwood, along with Rick Parry, chairman of the English Football League, and representatives of two clubs in Gullis's parliamentary constituency, Port Vale and Stoke City.

The turnstiles at football grounds were slammed shut earlier this year as the pandemic spread across Britain.

Plans to allow a reduced number of fans to return were subsequently abandoned.

The English Premier League expressed disappointment at the British government's decision to shelve plans in September to allow supporters back inside stadiums. The league claimed the ongoing disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was costing the game in England around 130 million U.S. dollars every month.