Football

Brewster Park to host first inter-county fans in over a year

Brewster Park will be the first GAA venue to welcome back fans for an inter-county game when Fermanagh host Longford on Saturday afternoon. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin
Brewster Park will be the first GAA venue to welcome back fans for an inter-county game when Fermanagh host Longford on Saturday afternoon. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin Brewster Park will be the first GAA venue to welcome back fans for an inter-county game when Fermanagh host Longford on Saturday afternoon. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin

BREWSTER Park will this weekend become the first GAA venue in over a year to welcome fans to an inter-county game.

The GAA yesterday confirmed arrangements to allow 500 spectators to attend games in the north.

With the vaccination programme ahead and infection numbers lower in the six counties, the return of fans to games will be permitted to move ahead in the north.

Fermanagh’s Saturday afternoon tie with Longford will see Ryan McMenamin’s men looking to bounce back from a humbling in Derry, and will be played in front of an exclusively home crowd.

Only fans from the north will be able to attend games as yet, with the exception of 50 non-playing members of the squad and county officials.

Northern counties playing at home will be able to sell 400 tickets locally, with Armagh confirming that their sale would be done through clubs and there would be no tickets on general sale.

Armagh and Tyrone are both at home on Saturday night, but their visitors – Donegal and Monaghan respectively – are not permitted to bring any fans with them.

The revamped Corrigan Park will host fans in its new stand for the first time on Sunday when Antrim face Sligo, though there will also be no supporters at Cavan v Derry for TG4’s live game on Saturday as it takes place in Breffni Park.

Tickets will be priced at £15 for Division One and Two football and Division One hurling, or at £10 for all other games. No concessions will be available due to limited numbers.

The situation will be reviewed at the conclusion of the Allianz Leagues in line with public health advice at that time, the GAA said in a statement yesterday.