Mark Catlin's warning to Portsmouth fans amid possible Peterborough homecoming after football crowds given green light

And he insists he’s presently unable to pinpoint a date when Fratton Park will open its turnstiles.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson this afternoon unveiled plans to allow spectators back into football stadiums when national lockdown ends on December 2.

However, a maximum of 4,000 fans or 50-per-cent capacity limits – whichever is lowest – will depend on which tier Pompey as a city falls into.

Should it be categorised as tier one or two, then Peterborough’s December 5 visit could signal the Fratton faithful’s partial return.

Although Catlin admitted the deadline to get the stadium ready remains testing.

Pompey’s chief executive told The News: ‘On the face of it, it seems a move in the right direction. As always, though, the devil will be in the detail.

‘I haven’t yet been able to find out what tier we are going to be in, which obviously will be crucial to knowing if we are to allow fans in.

‘I have also yet to hear anything official from the EFL.

‘Add to that there is going to be a lot of work which needs to be undertaken - upon approval - to be gathered in a short space of time.

‘If there is an opportunity and we are lucky enough to be in one of the tiers where fans can return, we will be doing all we can to try to make that happen.

‘But the timescales are already looking very tight.

‘We have to get all the processes and structures in place to be able to get fans back in, we need to have an SGSA inspection, meetings with the emergency services and approval from the local council.

‘So there’s a lot of things that still have to be put in place before being allowed to have fans back.

‘It’s going to be a hectic time, but we relish that, we will be doing all we can to make that happen.

‘But I have to temper that without seeing how rules, regulations and processes will look - apart from what tier we are in - it’s far too early to be saying on X date against Y team and how many fans.’

Pompey’s last away fixture in front of fans was at Peterborough in March.

Ironically the same opposition may represent the curtain raiser to supporters’ return to Fratton Park.

Catlin added: ‘We haven’t been given anything officially yet so any supporter seeing the news unfolding is entirely in sync with what I know. Everyone is now waiting for the detail.

‘The game after lockdown is Peterborough, however there are still a lot of regulatory hoops to jump through and very little time to try to pull that together.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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