Aberdeen get green light for 5,665 supporters for Hacken game

Aberdeen City Council have granted the club permission to welcome even more fans back for their European tie next week.

Author: Lewis MichiePublished 16th Jul 2021
Last updated 16th Jul 2021

Aberdeen City Council have given permission for Aberdeen FC to more than double the amount of fans being welcomed back to Pittodrie next Thursday.

The Dons host BK Hacken in a UEFA Europa League Conference tie.

By then we will be in Level 0 Covid restrictions, which mandates a maximum of 2,000 seated supporters.

But, clubs are able to apply to their local authorities for an extension to that.

A licensing sub-committee of ACC agreed today that 5,665 Dandies will be granted access to the game, after club officials demonstrated how they could safely host the figure.

Attending supporters will be asked to complete a lateral flow covid test on the day of the match - and test negative - with it required to be shown upon entry.

It was acknowledged the club was going above and beyond by requiring this.

Just under 100 stewards will be utilised to ensure those in attendance stick to a code of conduct, which attendees will be required to agree to, which includes things like social distancing and using a dedicated seat.

No kiosks will be in use.

This decision grants an extension to capacity for the BK Hacken game only.

Originally the application was for 3 matches, but AFC then reduced their request to just the European tie.

The club may still re-apply for an extension for further matches, such as the league opener against Dundee United.

It was noted the club could look to apply for an even larger number of supporters for future games, should this one go well.

It does mean not all of the around 7,700 season ticket holders for the up-coming campaign will get in, the club are expected to hold a ballot.

Councillor Steve Delaney of the Lib Dems raised concerns on the proposal at a time where "NHS Grampian are struggling". No Councillors seconded his motion.

But it was noted the ground would be around 74% empty, so Councillors were confident safety would be maintained.

Councillor, and North East MSP, Douglas Lumsden told Northsound:

"I think it's clear from the application that the club put in, that they are taking this very seriously.

"The amount of mitigation they put in is far beyond anything that is actually required, I was impressed by that."

The club say seats will be available in the Merkland, South and Richard Donald Stand. The Main stand is considered 'red zone' by UEFA as it will contain members of the media, delegates and substitutes from both teams.

Fans can attend on their own, or sit with friends or family in a group of 2,3 or 4.

Tickets will be available to season ticket holders on a first come first serve basis from 5pm today (Friday July 16) with the ticket office open tomorrow.

AFC Chairman, Dave Cormack, said: “This is a major step in the right direction and we’re grateful to the local authority for working closely with us to get to this stage.

“Ideally, we wanted to be able to accommodate all our season ticket members. However, 5,665 represents 73% of the 7,800 season tickets sold to date. Based on our previous percentages of season ticket members take-up (55% to 60%) and the fact that some have indicated that they are not ready to attend games just yet, we believe we’ll be able to accommodate all who want to attend.

“Every supporter will require proof of a negative lateral flow test, which we believe is a price worth paying to demonstrate, more than any other similar event in Scotland has done so far, that we as a Club do care about safety and about implementing the highest standards possible.

“The tight timescales and logistics involved mean we are unable to organise a ballot so tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, initially to season ticket members.

“I’d like to reiterate the amazing efforts of our stadium manager, and the operations team at the Club in getting us to this point and assure you that we’ve done everything, within our control, to get as many fans back safely.

“I’d urge all season ticket members to read all the information on our website carefully and ensure that they are willing to comply with all the measures we have had to put in place to secure consent for 5,665 fans, before applying on-line for tickets. These include proof of a negative lateral flow test and strict compliance with our procedures for this game.”

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