Get a pen, grab your diaries or phone calendars and make a note of the following critical date: Saturday 31 July.
It’s the day when your club needs YOU!
Following the government’s latest announcement about the lifting of Covid restrictions we can now plan seriously for our proper return to Plough Lane – the one we never had last season.
All of us want to be re-united and sat shoulder to shoulder as we roar on Robbo’s team in the new home we helped build.
First though, it is ESSENTIAL we stage – and pass – a crucial Test Event on 31 July when we will be playing Scunthorpe United in a pre-season friendly.
To pass, we have to fill our showpiece West Stand with 4,000 fans and prove to the Safety Advisory Group that we can host a match to the standards they demand. If we fail to hit as close to that number as possible then our proper homecoming could be delayed once again.
It really is that important – but there’s an extra incentive for making sure we pass.
Assuming 4,000 fans attend and all goes well, we will then only have one more Test Event to pass – and the great news is that can be our opening home game of the season against Bolton Wanderers on 14 August in front of a near-capacity crowd.
Now that’s the homecoming we have all been dreaming about!
The only potential hiccup is whether the Government suddenly changes its mind when it confirms the new Covid rules on 12 July.
Chief Executive Joe Palmer explained: “Everything looks extremely promising - unless there’s some unexpected restrictions imposed on football. That doesn’t look likely, though, so we will carry on planning for our West Stand stress test on 31 July.
“Fans will be able to see the match for free but it’s absolutely essential enough people attend. This really is a case of ‘your club needs you’.
“As soon as we have clearance from the Government, then we will start releasing details of how to get tickets. Once we are over this hurdle, we will then be so much closer to everyone finally experiencing Plough Lane together.”
More details will follow on the official website in due course.