Sunderland to lift restrictions on Portsmouth fans at Stadium of Light

However, there’s no guarantee that supporters will be allowed into any league ground this term due to ongoing coronavirus measures.

Pompey chief executive Mark Catlin has admitted the Blues have a budget in place for all games to be played behind closed doors for the entirety of the 2020-21 season.

He believes the Fratton Park outfit need to prepare for the worst after the government suspended it’s pilot schemes for fans to return to sporting events last week.

October had been earmarked for a potential return for spectators, but that now looks likely to be pushed back.

Pompey kick off their new League One campaign on September 12.

No fixtures have yet been released by the EFL, although the Blues can expect another 669-round trip to Wearside as both clubs lock horns for a third successive season.

Last term the Black Cats enforced a cap of 2,000 Blues fans for their League One clash last August.

That was after a smoke bomb was thrown from the away end at the Stadium of Light when Pompey visited the north east near the end of the 2018-19 regular season.

The incident led to a fan needing medical treatment, while the game itself was paused for four minutes while the matter was dealt with.

More than 3,200 Pompey fans attended that match in April 2019, while a further 1,288 of the Fratton faithful made the trip north for the clubs’ League One play-off semi-final first-leg game a couple of weeks later.

The spectators’ cap was introduced for the Blues’ third visit to the Stadium of Light in the space of three-and-a-half months on August 17, 2019.

However, only 800 Pompey supporters made the trip because of the 12.30pm kick-off time.

That decision – introduced ‘in an effort to reduce the risk to public safety’ – is likely to be reversed, though, according to the Sunderland Echo.

Sunderland City Council bosses are expected to drop the restriction when they meet to approve the renewal of the safety certificate for the club’s home ground on Monday, August 10.