Carabao Cup last: Man Metropolis & Tottenham to have 2,000 followers every at Wembley last

82,145 spectators watched Manchester City beat Aston Villa 2-1 to win last season’s Carabao Cup

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City will have 2,000 fans at Wembley on April 25 for the Carabao Cup Final.

However, fans under the age of 18 cannot attend, and people who are clinically extremely vulnerable or pregnant have also been instructed not to apply for tickets.

To get to Wembley, fans must take a side-flow coronavirus test in a designated location – not at home – within 24 hours of the game.

And they have to provide evidence of a negative result, either in text or an email.

Fans who receive a ticket will be required to sign a consent form as the game is part of the government’s event research program that evaluates how to safely open large-scale events to the public when coronavirus restrictions wear off.

It also asks fans if they should do two PCR tests to show if someone who is showing coronavirus symptoms currently has the virus. Both tests should be done at home, the first before the game and the second five days after. Fans who receive tickets to the finals will learn how to apply for the free PCR tests.

SpursAbility, Tottenham’s club for disabled fans, said it was “extremely disappointed” with the decision that clinically extremely vulnerable fans should not attend the final.

“Most of our members and supporters have had their first and second vaccinations and are at significantly lower risk than those who are yet to be vaccinated,” the statement said.

“Government guidelines put people aged 70 and over into an equal or higher risk category. However, there is no problem of exclusion for people in these higher-risk groups.

“We call for these criteria to be reviewed in the government-led research program to reopen live events to the general public in light of research to date and the reality of priorities in the government-set vaccination program.”

Level Playing Field – a charity that promotes a full gaming experience and equal access for all disabled sports fans – said the decision was “very disappointed”.

There will be a total of 8,000 fans at Wembley – most at an outdoor sporting event in the UK since the first coronavirus pandemic lockdown in March 2020 – with the remaining split being split between groups including Brent residents and NHS staff.

In early April, English Football League (EFL) chairman Rick Parry said the return of fans was an “important milestone”.

On April 18th, the FA Cup semi-final between Leicester City and Southampton will have 4,000 fans, while the final on May 15th will welcome 21,000 spectators.

The games are three of nine events in sports and the arts – including the World Snooker Championship – which will be used to provide “critical scientific data and research” on how events can be safely reopened to fans in line with the exit from coronavirus restrictions.

Event researchers will “collect evidence associated with different attitudes and approaches to managing and reducing the risk of transmission”.

Manchester City, EFL Cup holder after Aston Villa’s 2-1 win in last season’s final, has announced 1,750 tickets will be available to fans living in the Greater Manchester area. The remaining 250 tickets will be sold to fans in London and the South East of England.