Manchester City v Tottenham: League Cup final set to welcome 8,000 fans to Wembley

FA Cup semi-final and final also used as test events by UK government to bring people back to venues

Manchester City are aiming to win the League Cup for the fourth time in a row when they face Tottenham in the final on April 25. Getty Images

As many as 8,000 spectators will be allowed to attend the League Cup final between Manchester City and Tottenham later this month after the match was chosen as a test event for the return of people to stadiums and venues in the United Kingdom.

The League Cup final is part of the UK government's Events Research Programme, which plans to issue identification showing whether people are vaccinated, have antibodies or have tested negative for the coronavirus.

The government is to announce on Monday that the system will be tested at events from mid-April including the League Cup final, an FA Cup semi-final and the final, all set to take place at Wembley Stadium in London.

According to the English Football League (EFL), which runs the League Cup, the chosen test events will be used "to collect evidence and collate best practice for managing and mitigating transmission risk. The evidence will then be shared across the event economy so that venues can prepare to accommodate fuller crowds and audiences."

In a statement in response to the return of supporters to Wembley Stadium to watch the League Cup final on April 25, Manchester City said: "Manchester City welcomes the news that a limited number of fans will be permitted to attend the Carabao Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley following the match’s approval as an official test event.

"The Department of Culture, Media and Sport has given the green light for 8,000 spectators to attend as part of the UK Government’s Events Research Programme. A proportion of these tickets will be made available to both finalists, which means City fans will be able to get behind their side at Wembley on Sunday 25 April."

In addition to Manchester City and Tottenham fans, a portion of League Cup final tickets will be allocated to local residents and workers from the National Health Service (NHS). The EFL said in a statement that ticket information will be released at a later date.

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Man City beat Aston Villa to retain League Cup

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"The Carabao Cup is a prized asset of the EFL, a great competition for clubs to win and always a fantastic occasion so we are absolutely delighted to see supporters back for the 2021 final, in what will hopefully be another important milestone along the way to a full return of fans," EFL chairman Rick Parry said.

"Football has lots of expertise in crowd management so we welcome the opportunity to support the Government in its Events Research Programme and will also take great pride in hosting NHS staff at the final to whom we owe so much for their momentous efforts throughout the pandemic."

Prior to the League Cup final, the FA Cup semi-final between Leicester City and Southampton on April 18 will also be used as a test event to welcome back fans to Wembley, where 4,000 local residents will be allowed to attend. For the FA Cup final, on May 15, the aim is 21,000 spectators.

"We are delighted to be hosting three test events at Wembley," Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham said. "This is an important first step towards getting fans back, with the end goal of full stadia - hopefully by the end of the men's Euros.

"We would like to thank all authorities for their support throughout this process."