Sunderland wait for tier news as EFL Chairman outlines next steps on return of supporters

Supporters will be able to attend matches when the national lockdown ends on December 2nd, though it will be dependent on which tier each region is placed into.

4,000 fans will be able to attend games in tier one areas, which reduces to 2,000 in tier two areas.

No fans will be allowed in tier three areas.

An announcement on which tier each region will be placed in is expected on Thursday, with the government warning that more places are likely to be moved into the highest tier.

The North East was placed in tier two before the national lockdown.

As such, there are significant question marks as to whether Sunderland fans are likely to feel the benefit of the announcement in the near future.

Parry also voiced caution on the announcement.

While he has suggested that some games scheduled for next Tuesday could be pushed back a day in order to allow fans in, he also warned that clubs had been surprised by the announcement and that many had a lot of work to do.

"This is a welcome start," Parry told BBC Radio Four's Today programme..

"Fans have been frustrated, they're missing their football, so it's something to celebrate for fans, not just for the clubs."

"But it's not just the money, it's a very welcome return to atmosphere

"We have to build upon it because what we're really looking forward to is getting fans back in rather more substantial numbers."

"Some clubs will still have safety officers on furlough," he added.

"There is a lot of work to do quite quickly and it's really important that we get this right.

"We've got to make sure that the clubs and the fans all behave responsibly."

Sunderland have been vocal supporters of the campaign to bring supporters back into grounds, with CEO Jim Rodwell saying earlier this season that they had prepared plans for the return of up to 11,000 supporters, many of whom had registered their matchday bubbles in anticipation.

“It’s soul destroying for those people who worked so hard to put us in the position to potentially bring fans back," he said in October.

"We, as football, are convinced that we can safely have fans in the stadium.

“We had pilot events that went incredibly well, we were ready and able before the rug was pulled from underneath us. I think the hardest thing to accept about that was the lack of rationale.

“You see things that are going on, full theatres, and we’re just getting told for no real, apparent reason that we can’t have fans. That’s soul destroying.”

The Black Cats will now have to wait for a decision on the region's tier status before assessing whether they can bring any fans to the Stadium of Light.

The significantly reduced numbers will also force a potential change in approach with regards to ticket allocation, with the number of season tickets sold for the current campaign a five-figure total.

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