Hibs to apply for 5000 fans inside Easter Road for Arsenal friendly

Hibs hope to have up to 5000 fans inside Easter Road for next month's friendly against Arsenal. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

The pre-season fixture against Mikel Arteta's Europa League semi-finalists is due to take place on Tuesday, July 13 with a 6pm kick-off.

Should the current tier 2 restrictions remain in place attendance would be restricted to 500. However, clubs can apply for special dispensation for larger crowds should a strict set of criteria be met, and Hibs will seek permission from Edinburgh City Council for around 10 times that amount based on two-metre distancing inside the stadium.

The local authority will then carry out a risk assessment to determine whether the club's request for up to 5000 home spectators is both safe and feasible.

Should distancing rules relax to 1.5m ahead of the glamour friendly, Hibs will take their request to the Scottish Government, as is required for gatherings over 5000, with an application for between 7000 and 7500 spectators.

To help facilitate the request, the club hope to reopen the away changing room for Arsenal players, freeing up the South Stand, which was used as a changing area for visiting sides last season.

Over 11,000 season tickets were sold for the recently concluded 2020/21 campaign, which saw Hibs finish third in the Premiership for the first time in 23 years and reach the Scottish Cup final, but fans had to make do with watching their team in action via live stream.

And with season tickets selling at a similar pace this summer, Hibs are keen to welcome as many supporters as possible back to Easter Road for the start of the new season.

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