Big screen coming home? Euro final ‘fanzone’ decision due today

Friday 09 July 2021

The Government is considering whether a “safe fanzone” can be established to allow islanders to watch England in the Euros final outdoors, with a decision due to be announced today.

After beating Denmark earlier this week, England will be facing Italy on Sunday 11 July at 20:00.

With the team reaching its first Euros final since the tournament started in 1960, many football fans are eager to watch the historic game on a big screen. 

Yesterday, as the Government announced significant relaxations around its travel policy and with the final covid restrictions on mass gatherings set to expire just days away on 15 July, some questioned whether islanders would be allowed to gather for the final.

Pictured: The Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondré, said there wouldn't be alcohol at the fanzone.

The Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondré, confirmed the Government was considering whether it would be possible to source a screen and where to put it.

“We are obviously pretty aware of the circumstances, it is a fantastic position,” he said. “I was about to say it’s the first time in my lifetime, but I would be fractionally out, but not by much.”

“Let’s be really, really clear here, if we did it, there would be constraints, it wouldn’t be alcohol and all the rest of it,” he added.

He went on to say that if a big screen was to be set up, it would have to be “consistent” with how other events had been dealt with. 

“There are trade-offs one way or the other because obviously it’s an outside event,” he said. “Equally, one has to consider what would happen let’s say, England won - which would be fantastic. What are the consequences then, because there is no way any football is going to be seated on the ground politely applauding and then you’ve got to consider the risk of spread in the context of the equivalent of singing and that.”

While he said the Government was “actively” looking at the possibility of a big screen being set up, he said they first wanted to know whether it would be advisable.

Pictured: "I’d very much like England to win," Dr Muscat said.

Dr Ivan Muscat, the Deputy Medical Officer for Health, confirmed the matter was being “deliberated”.

“Obviously, I’d very much like England to win, I’d very much like people to enjoy the match, but I don’t want Jersey to lose as a result,” he said.

“We need to think about the safety measures we need to bring into place if this event goes ahead and whether in fact those safety measures are sufficient. We are considering it, we are looking at it, we all want this to happen, but we don’t want to create undue difficulty as a consequence of that.”

Senator Lyndon Farnham, the Minister for Economic Development, said the Government was in discussions with the Bailiff’s Chambers and third parties. He said that if “a safe fan zone” could be established, the event would go ahead and assured an announcement would be made today.