The NFL’s New England Patriots have announced that it will not be letting fans back into Gillette Stadium through the 2020 season, despite its best efforts to develop a safe environment at the venue.
The news will come as a blow to fans hoping to see the Patriots, especially as a number of other teams around the NFL are seeing the return of fans in limited numbers. However, each state government has different rules, and Massachusetts has deemed to prohibit large capacity venues from opening to the public.
The ruling will also impact New England Revolution’s Major League Soccer home fixtures at the stadium, where it will also no be allowed fans.
The full statement is below:
Throughout the last several months, Gillette Stadium officials and the Kraft Sports + Entertainment organization have worked diligently to develop a plan to safely host fans at a reduced capacity. We have done so in collaboration with a team of infectious disease experts and the Massachusetts Reopening Advisory Board and feel confident in our plan, which complies with guidelines issued by the CDC, the National Football League and Major League Soccer.
We have recently been informed that the Governor’s Executive Order prohibiting large capacity venues from opening to the public will remain in force for the remainder of the 2020 football and soccer seasons.
We understand that the advisory board, Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Polito made this decision with the health and safety of the community in mind. Still, we know that this decision will be disappointing to the friends and family members of our respective teams and countless Patriots and Revolution Season Ticket Members who were eager to attend games this season.
As we turn our focus to 2021, we will continue to work closely with the advisory board to safely reopen our building. We look forward to welcoming Patriots and Revolution fans back home to Gillette Stadium upon being granted approval next year.
