CONFIRMED: Cobblers fans will be allowed back into the PTS from next week

Cobblers fans will be permitted back into the PTS Academy Stadium for the first time since March next week after Northamptonshire was placed in Tier Two of the government's coronavirus restrictions.

On Thursday morning Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed the tier allocations that will come into effect from December 2. It means that 2,000 of Cobblers' near 3,000 season ticket holders can attend matches from as early as next week.

The first game with fans back in the ground is likely to be against Doncaster Rovers on December 5, although the EFL are looking at the possibility of moving some fixtures from next Tuesday to Wednesday so supporters can attend. Cobblers are currently due to host Fleetwood in League One on December 1.

The club will announce more details later on Thursday but it is thought that fans will be given entry on a rotation basis so one season ticket holder can attend two in every three matches.

The last time the Cobblers played in front of a crowd was way back on March 7 when they were beaten 2-1 by Mansfield in League Two, nearly nine months ago. All sport across the country was then put on hold for three months due to the coronavirus pandemic before it restarted behind closed doors in June.

The initial plan was then for fans to return in reduced, socially-distanced numbers from October but despite a number of successful pilot events, the government scrapped that idea due to rising COVID infections.

However, Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave the green light for the return of supporters when he revealed on Monday that England will return to the three-tiered coronavirus alert system to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Northamptonshire was placed in the lowest tier — Tier One — before November but cases have continued to rise despite the lockdown, which was introduced on November 5, prompting the move to Tier Two.