NEWPORT County AFC had been in talks with the Welsh Government about holding a trial event with fans back in the Rodney Parade stands until the city went back into lockdown, writes Chris Kirwan.

The Exiles have started the season with six fixtures behind closed doors, five of them on home soil.

Supporters have not been able to see their side upset the odds in Carabao Cup clashes with Swansea City and Watford of the Championship.

Pilot events with social distancing had been held by the English Football League but they have now been paused by the UK government, with fears that fans won't be allowed back in until March at the earliest.

That comes just as County were hoping to allow some of their supporters through the turnstiles to watch Michael Flynn's in-form side.

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"We'd been in dialogue with Welsh Government and I had meetings with them," said chairman Gavin Foxall. "They were happy, with quite significant caveats, that we could apply to the EFL to be part of the next tranche of pilots.

"We were planning to do so but Newport has gone back into lockdown and that is not going to be possible for obvious reasons.

"Ultimately health and wellbeing is paramount but it's not ideal and as a club you want that support on nights like against Watford.

South Wales Argus:

"Rodney Parade rocks when you have a club of that stature visiting and it does act like the 12th man. It's a real shame but we will take our guidance from the various authorities.

"The pilots that the EFL did were around 1,000 fans. We were planning on doing something that would be similar to that with the blessing of all the authorities.

"The guys at Rodney Parade were supportive of that. Our staff and their staff have been working behind the scenes for a considerable amount of time to put all the plans in place.

"There is probably as much planning for a game behind closed doors as there is for one that would have fans in. Those protocols are put in place for everybody, it's just flexing them in a different way.

"All of us want fans back – the board, the manager, the players – because it's just not the same without them."

County had budgeted to be without fans until 2021 and have been boosted by being able to sell season tickets with streamed iFollow coverage part of the package.

The club are in a stronger financial position than many in the lower leagues but Foxall still hopes the EFL will get a helping hand from the Premier League.

"We have been fortunate with the cup runs that we have had," he said. "As a board we have been prudent with that money. Add in the salary cap and there is an instrument to control where you are at.

"There are some challenging times ahead because fans through the door is a significant portion of our income and it's going to be tough.

"I am hopeful that the EFL in their dialogue with the Premier League will be able to help clubs at our level get through this. Those at the top need those at the bottom.

"Football clubs are more than what happens on the pitch on a Saturday and Tuesday, and we are very much a community club.

"Nobody wants another Bury and I am hopeful that something will come through. As (EFL chairman) Rick Parry has said, it needs to happen sooner rather than later because there are planning challenges ahead."