The Memorial Stadium will return to full capacity for this Saturday’s League One clash against Shrewsbury Town and beyond, after Bristol Rovers successfully satisfied the criteria laid out by the Safety Advisory Group (SAG).
The Thatchers Terrace had been temporarily reduced by about 10 per cent - around 300 fans - for the Gas’ opening two home league games against Forest Green Rovers and Oxford United, with the supporters impacted moved to other areas of the ground.
That was in light of pitch invasions against Forest Green and, most notably, Scunthorpe United at the end of last season which has since led to a number of banning orders. Rovers have also been fined £16,500 by the FA who raised concerns over pre-match safety preparation and stewarding numbers.
After a series of inspections, SAG - who comprise a number of local authorities including Bristol City Council and Avon & Somerset Police - are confident that their concerns have been addressed.
“The safety of all attendees to the stadium is our first priority and we have worked closely with the Safety Advisory Group over a number of weeks to ensure that their concerns were addressed,” Rovers CEO Tom Gorringe said.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our team for all of their hard work in getting the restrictions lifted, in particular our Safety Officer, James Hillier who has been exemplary in his conduct and professionalism through the process.
“In addition, I would like to thank all of our supporters who followed the guidance and helped ensure that these restrictions were lifted. It is vitally important that we now maintain this to ensure that no further restrictions are implied as this will once again impact the number of supporters that are able to get to the Mem and support the team.”
Rovers witnessed a crowd of 9,064 for their League One opener against Forest Green, while 8,297 attended for the visit of Oxford United with both games advertised as a sell out. Rovers' largest attendance of 2020/21 was the 9,790 present for the 7-0 promotion-sealing win over Scunthorpe on May 7.
The capacity of the Mem is officially listed as 12,300 but that is out of date and inaccurate given reductions in the wake of extra regulations brought in following the COvid-19 pandemic which have prevented terracing at pitch level being occupied.
Tickets are now available for this Saturday’s clash against the Shrews in the Thatchers Terrace, along with the East Terrace and the South Stand. The club has been keen to emphasise, though, that supporters still need to adhere to certain regulations, in particular keeping the stairways clear.
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