West Ham v Arsenal WSL among the new test events for spectators | Sport

A women’s Super League match between West Ham and Arsenal and a men’s friendly in Brighton this weekend are among a list of sporting events that will serve as new test events for spectators.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has confirmed a series of new events that viewers would be admitted to on a socially distant basis, following the ban on mass gatherings introduced in March due to the coronavirus epidemic. The events, covering football, rugby, horse racing, cricket, basketball and speedway, will take place over the rest of August and September.

The WSL clash between West Ham and Arsenal on 13 September is among them, along with Brighton’s men’s game against Chelsea on Saturday at Amex Stadium and Lewes’s women’s friendly against London Bees. The non-league finals day at Wembley on September 20 will also have a limited number of spectators, DCMS said.

The Premiership match between Harlequins and Bath at Twickenham Stoop on 5 September has been selected, as have the races in Doncaster (St Leger on 9 September), Warwick on 21 September and Newmarket on 24 September.

Cricket matches in the Bob Willis Trophy and T20 Blast are scheduled for selection, with specific matches yet to be confirmed. A British Basketball League friendly in Newcastle on 18 September will also be attended by spectators, as will a speedway event in Ipswich on 26 September.

Oliver Dowden, the culture secretary, said: “I know that fans and their teams are looking forward to gathering in stadiums across the country, but it is imperative that we take a cautious and gradual approach to getting fans back to safety. .

“I am pleased that infection rates have stabilized enough to resume the pilot program and we will continue to work intensively with sports, medical and health and safety experts to welcome more fans as quickly as possible.”