Another fan concept: Dynamo Dresden try 'infection collectives'
Dynamo Dresden become the latest club to receive clearance from local health authorities to permit some Bundesliga fans back into the stadium. The booking process looks to be a little more nuanced than some of the German counterparts.
Third-tier side Dynamo Dresden now officially join the list of German professional clubs to have received public approval for the return of a small number of fans to its stadium. The recently relegated club, it can be argued suffered more than most from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The SGD had the dubious distinction of being the only team of the 36 playing in Germany’s professional tiers unable to re-start the season in mid-May as scheduled. Positive corona tests forced the entire team into quarantine, forcing the team to play an even more condensed schedule whilst engaged in a tough relegation fight.
Dresden announced on Friday that they had received clearance from the local health department to proceed with its own hygiene-concept and let a limited number of fans through the turnstiles for the September 14th DFB-Pokal cup match against Hamburger SV.
Details remain sketchy. Even an approximate number of fans expected to patronize the Rudolph Harbig Stadium doesn’t exist yet. This is because the club is working on something of a unique concept. Individual ticket sales, assuming the local seven-day-incidence rate remains low after the weekend, will begin on Wednesday.
Group ticket sales and seating for up to ten people will be permitted if it can be demonstrated to the club that a collection of spectators qualify as so-called “Infection Collectives”. Such a collective is defined as families, partners, roommates, or a close circle of friends.
Presumably, the club wish to populate the stadium with small groups willing to bear the risk. Naturally, groups wishing to sit together can be legally assumed to be responsible for their own health. This excuses the club of any potential liability.
Dynamo managing director was quick to emphasize that the larger the overall number of group bookings, the smaller the overall capacity of the stadium will be. This is the reason a precise number cannot be given.