Brighton & Hove Albion will play their remaining Premier League home games without fans but season ticket-holders can still make their presence felt during matches by signing up for cardboard cutouts of themselves to be displayed at Amex Stadium.
The Premier League will resume without spectators because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Brighton, who are two points above the relegation zone with nine games remaining, scheduled to host Arsenal in their first match back on June 20.
Personalised cut-outs will cost fans 20 pounds each, with a percentage of profits being donated to the ‘Albion As One’ charity fund.
“The cut-out fans will be positioned in the upper tier of the East Stand, providing the team with some visual support for these important games and supporters are encouraged to wear colours to create a stand full of blue and white,” Brighton said in a statement.
“Other areas of the stadium will feature other club and partner branding as part of a Premier League initiative.”
Last week, Wolverhampton Wanderers also invited their fans to be part of a crowd mosaic for home matches at Molineux.
“Wolves are creating a giant crowd mosaic to cover the Sir Jack Hayward Stand — an idea generated in collaboration with the club’s matchday experience group during a virtual meeting last month,” the club, who face Bournemouth in their first home match back on June 24, said in a statement.
German Bundesliga club Borussia Moenchengladbach also used cardboard cutouts to fill the stadium for their home games when the league restarted behind closed doors last month.
REUTERS