Iceland hope to allow England fans for Uefa Nations League clash in September

Iceland are hoping to allow England fans into the Uefa Nations League fixture in early September.

Supporters are permitted into domestic matches in Iceland, where the average attendance is just 1,000, and the country’s football association is hoping Uefa will grant permission for this to take place for their international games.

However Uefa are understood to be concerned over the sporting integrity of allowing one nation to host games with supporters present if their opponents are not permitted to do so in a return fixture.

It means that although Iceland do not face England away until November – by which time it is certainly hoped fans will be back in stadia – if the rules in this country do not allow them to do so by September then supporters may be ruled out.

England will play Iceland in Reykjavik on September 5, in their first fixture for 10 months, and the host nation’s plan is to permit 5,000 fans inside their 9,000-capacity national stadium.

The fans would be separated into blocks of 500 with specific entrances and toilet facilities.

Under current Icelandic rules, England fans - after being tested for Covid 19 on arrival at the airport - would have to go into a kind of ‘soft quarantine’ of not mixing with people, such as going into bars or restaurants, for at least four days and largely remaining in their hotels. They would then have a second coronavirus test. This would not apply to the England players or staff who would remain in their ‘bubble’.

After facing Iceland, England then play Denmark away three days later with the Danes also pushing for home fans to be allowed in.

Meanwhile the Football Association has announced that England will play Wales in a friendly at Wembley on October 8 as part of triple headers in October and November which includes Nations League games against Iceland, Belgium and Denmark. At present the England home games will be behind closed doors.