Pompey fans head 'home' - but the #LetFansIn campaign has only just begun

There are 2,000 heading back here this weekend - but we need numbers to keep on rising

What could I be talking about? A Southern Rail journey? No – I’m referring to the #LetFansIn campaign, which has made significant progress in the past week or two.

Though the government’s new three tiers of restrictions across the country seem to have caused as many problems as they've solved, the latest changes have at least established the principle that fans should be able to return to grounds on a gradual basis.

Close to home, this means there will be crowds of 2,000 for each upcoming game at Fratton Park.

Brilliant – a big step in the right direction, though there is still a long way to go before we see a full house.

You have to have sympathy for clubs still not able to have any fans in.

At non-league level, even in areas where supporters can be admitted, clubs in tier two are unable to open their bars and clubhouses, further hitting their balance sheets. This - added to the fact many clubs are in tier three regions - has led, this week, to leagues putting on hold the resumption of league fixtures.

But however gradual the process is, we are going in the right direction. And I do think everyone who has played a part in #LetFansIn, however small, should be pleased with their efforts.

Everyone who’s done something, whether it's signing a petition, sending a tweet or writing to their MP, has helped make a difference.

Now comes the hard bit. There can be no sitting back thinking the battle is over. The pressure has to be kept up. Progress has to be steady.

If the authorities think football clubs and leagues can survive with fan numbers as they are to be in the coming weeks, they are badly mistaken and they must be shown so.

So whatever you’ve done so far to back #LetFansIn, go and do as much again this week. Let’s make sure this victory is a proper one.