The Government have put a ‘pause’ on plans for a staged return of supporters to stadiums from October 1 dealing a blow to both Blackburn Rovers and Accrington Stanley.

Eight pilot fixtures, which allowed the return of 1,000 fans to EFL matches last weekend, were deemed a success but those have also now been shelved over Government fears about the rise in Covid-19 cases.

Rovers were knocked back in their application to have their 5-0 win over Wycombe Wanderers played infront of some supporters, while Stanley had hoped for similar when they welcome Oxford United to the Wham Stadium on Saturday.

Rovers last week penned an open letter to local MPs outlining the need for a clear plan to be drawn up of when fans would be allowed back into stadia or face ‘unimaginable outcomes’.

The club, who last hosted a match infront of fans on February 29, said all the measures were in place to allow for the safe return of supporters while applying social distancing guidelines, but those calls look set to fall on deaf ears.

It read: “Failure to do so, or to at least provide any credible roadmap back to the return of fans in the near future, could have catastrophic consequences for many football clubs, like ourselves, and the communities they represent.

“Football is facing an impending financial crisis as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A reasonable resolution must be reached at the earliest opportunity to avoid unimaginable outcomes.”

The Government has since announced a ‘pause’ to the planned return of fans from the beginning of next month, but there are fears that it could run into several months.

Stanley issued an update in the wake of the Government’s decision, with Managing Director Dave Burgess confirming the Oxford fixture will be played behind closed doors.

He added: “We will continue to work with the EFL, DCMS and other relevant authorities and will carry on communicating with supporters as to when we will be able to allow the Stanley fans back into the Wham Stadium.”

The Premier League and EFL, as well as the lower end of the non-league pyramid have begun the 2020/21 season behind closed doors, but there are now fears over the viability of starting the National League and National League North and South seasons which had outlined it wouldn’t be able to operate without the income of paying fans.

Rovers were turned down for their application to host a pilot game because of local infection rates, but had put season tickets on sale with the view to having supporters in for the majority of their 23 home matches.

Those hopes have now been dealt a blow, though Kevin Miles, chief executive of the Football Supporters’ Association, has urged a re-think.

“The FSA has written to the Government to stress how important it is that we start to allow fans back into games,” he said.

“Feedback from our members at test events has confirmed high levels of compliance with all the health and safety measures put in place, and that they felt safer at games than they have done in many other social situations.

“Having fans at games is of course not only important to the lives of supporters, it is also crucial to the survival of so many clubs who play a crucial role within their communities. A combination of revenue at the ground and government support is urgently needed to keep clubs going. The Government has to listen to fans and football clubs on this one.”

However, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has outlined the country faces a ‘perilous turning point’ in its fight against coronavirus and new measures, including the ‘Rule of Six’, are imperative.

He added: “Finally, we have to acknowledge that the spread of the virus is affecting our ability to re-open business conferences, exhibitions and large sporting events from October 1 and I recognise the implications for our sports clubs which are the life and soul of our communities.

“We’re working urgently on what we can do now to support them.”