League Two side Colchester United have revealed that they are to use cut-outs of fans for their playoff clash against Exeter should it happen.
The division’s 2019/20 season was recently ended with immediate effect, however they still wanted the playoffs to go ahead should clubs stick to their guns at a final vote next month.
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The matches would be played behind closed doors, but Colchester have taken inspiration from German club Borussia Mönchengladbach in offering supporters the chance to buy cut-outs of themselves for the game to show support.
The Bundesliga side did so with 13,000 cut-outs filling the empty seats for their game against Bayer Leverkusen.
Colchester have said fans can buy the cut-outs for £25, once the playoff dates are revealed, and fans will also be able to take them home.
“It will make such a difference to see our fans in the stands – even cut-out ones!” midfielder Harry Pell said.
“We’ll feel the fans are with us supporting us on our journey, hopefully towards play-off success.”
It isn’t just the League Two side who want to use cut-outs of fans for the playoff clash, as three ‘top’ Premier League clubs are currently ‘in talks’ over having it when their season resumes.
If it all goes ahead, we could be seeing £20 recyclable and water-proof cut-outs placed in stadiums up and down the country when action resumes in June.
Some of the money that will be raised by Prem sides is expected to be donated to the NHS in the fight against coronavirus.
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The idea all started from German fan Ingo Muller, who said: “It was my wife’s idea. We should have played at Eintracht Frankfurt two months ago. The match was suspended.
“We were in quarantine in Berlin. I was sitting in the kitchen, complaining, whining about the fact I couldn’t watch football on a Saturday afternoon.
“My wife said: ‘Ingo, get a picture taken of yourself, put it in the stadium and somehow if there are matches without public you are there, supporting the team.’
“I thought about the concept for an hour or two. We talked with club officials and the following week they generously said: ‘The lawn is ours, the stadium is yours.’
“We expected 500-2,000 cardboards at the beginning. Now we are looking at 20,000 orders at €19 (£17) over the next few weeks.
“As soon as the fans can go back to the stadium, we will throw a huge party and then they can pick up their own cardboards and keep it as a memory.
“On one hand, I’m proud the idea is working. It’s a symbol of protest that we are here but we cannot be here. We’re against matches without the public.
“Jock Stein used to say, ‘Football is nothing without fans.’ And this is what we feel, too. I’m sad I cannot be there, screaming my guts out, supporting my team.”
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