the filter east as we go through the evening and overnight, and we will see a week where the front from the north bringing some more in the way of cloud through scotland and northern ireland —— whetherfront. we will start with a mild start in the south—east, i7 we will start with a mild start in the south—east, 17 degrees, slightly fresher feel further north and west and an indication of what is to come through the remainder of the week ahead. high pressure moves in, but the week whether front brings in something cooler and fresher behind, so something cooler and fresher behind, so those temperatures are going to start to fall away, and that said, central and southern areas will see the best of the sunshine across england and wales tomorrow and the week whether front introduces drizzle at times and a fresher feel here especially on the exposed each coast. top temperatures are likely to peak at 12 or 18 degrees with the cloud, and further south we might see temperatures again into the mid 20s. but that theme is set to

continue as we go through thursday and friday with the cooler, fresher air arriving for all of us. a good deal of dry weather around and temperatures back to where they should be at this time of year. a reminder of our top story... coronavirus testing problems could ta ke coronavirus testing problems could take weeks to resolve says the health secretary as he acknowledges the system is facing an enormous challenge.

hello and welcome to sportsday — i'm catherine downs. spectators are back at some venues — but others are on the brink of bankruptcy — will the government throw them a lifeline? we'll have the latest on the government review. a lack of fans has hit all sport hard — but some have suffered more than most. the elite ice hockey season

has been suspended — what now for minority sports with no income? and three huge climbs in the tour de france today — we'll round up the action from stage 16. also coming up in the programme... spotting the signs of addiction in sport — we meet the athletes who've been through it, and want to help others avoid the pitfalls: someone someone who has been boxing, who do you turn to if you think you've got a drink problem or any addiction? i hadn't had a clue. i think that's the problem. no one knows where to turn. hello good evening. we've seen fans back at cricket, football and now rugby over the last few weeks. plans for more spectators to return will be discussed when the culture secretary oliver dowden meets sports

bodies later this week. so far, so positive. but some sports and venues have warned they're onlyjust clinging on, after huge financial losses this year — and the decision over the return of fans will be make or break. joe lynskey reports. he straightens! at kings home last last night from the sound effects we re last night from the sound effects were switched off, slowly the volume in sports is rising again. 1000 gloucester fa ns in sports is rising again. 1000 gloucester fans watched their team play harlequins. it was a long way off from full, but rugby needs progress. afterwards, gloucester‘s chief executive said clubs can't keep going losing money like this. the club wouldn't make it through the season, he said, with crowds this low. this was english rugby's second crowds pilots, ten days ago, nearly 3000 watched queens play bath, but since then, covid cases have risen and there are new

restrictions. the rfp want 20,000 at twickenham for an english mash next month, for now, that's wait and see. in the english football league, the sta kes a re in the english football league, the stakes are just as high, but today, it's been announced that some clubs will stage pilots this weekend, up to 1000 fans can attend, but not in high risk areas. cubs like bolton and 0ldman will keep waiting. —— clu bs. and 0ldman will keep waiting. —— clubs. so to do clubs in the fifth and sixth chair, the national league, they are season starts next month, but if they are forced to play without crowds, then the lights could go out. the reality is, are clubs at our level of the game depends on the turnstiles clicking and at the food and drink that people consume at the games to pay their way. i think the clu bs games to pay their way. i think the clubs have been well supported by the government over the summer with —— like very many businesses and by the football family, but we want to stand on our own two feet and

support our own two feet is being able to have spectators in the stadiums watching the games. some sports are looking further ahead, last month, silverstone stage to grand pres, but both were empty. next year, the track could go under u nless next year, the track could go under unless it's full again. i don't want to run with a reduced audience next year because it will simply make us lose more money quicker. so when the government talk about very positive progress with vaccines and a very expansive testing regime, i hope that one or other will see us back to full capacity of the british grand prix in 2021 because if we are not there, silverstone will be in a dire place and we will not be alone. indoor crowds like last month's world snookerfinals are risky crowds like last month's world snooker finals are risky again. cases are rising in the northeast, so newcastle eagles have cancelled the basketball pilot. at every level, income is running out. clubs

need fans through the doors. for now, sports, like the country, is seeking a balance. joe lynskey, bbc news. 0ur sports correspondent laura scott has been following this story for us — laura, pressure seems to be growing on the government now. they are saying if you can go to the pub to watch the football — why can't a few people go to the stadium to watch the game? exactly, and we know that tomorrow, major starts... 0liver dowden to talk about this issue. we understand that they will be making their case... very meaningful number of fans. i mean, for example, the premier league said last week they would be hosting pilots of less than a thousand, just didn't make sense for them. some other sports share the same view. as you hearjust then from joe, there are going to be some more pilots in some nfl fixtures this weekend commands another piloting for example in the coming

weeks. i do very much, tomorrow is an opportunity for these major sports to make their case to governments and call for some form of clarity and certainty from him because it's the uncertainty that is causing so much anxiety among these sports and it poses a real threat to their survival. we heard from the ecb today, for example, that they have already lost £100 million because of coronavirus, despite so much cricket having been played this summer, and the impact of coronavirus could grow to 200 million if this disruption continues and they have had to make some seriousjob and they have had to make some serious job cuts as a result of that. as you say, gloucestershire as well... pilots and fan return cannot increase... this meeting isn't going to be make or break, we are... but it is an opportunity for the sport to make clear to the government how important it is that fans return in the near future. 0k, loris got

there, or sports correspondent. apologies for the break—up on the line there. fans have been back at football matches in france sincejuly — they were only barred from stadia for four months as the pandemic peaked over the summer. lets talk to sara menai — a footballjournalist based in paris whojoins me now. we are beginning to gradually see fa ns we are beginning to gradually see fans returning to stadia here in the uk. how did it work in france? how was the re—induction managed? regarding the current situation here in france, the government allows up to 5000 fans in two stages. it's not a lot, but it's something. so it's limited, but we have some bad news tonight, because, for example where we have a lot of coronavirus cases at the moment, the local administration has announced

yesterday and tonight about public events a re yesterday and tonight about public events are now limited to 1000 people. so next sunday, for example, they are facing east at home in what is going to be a normal empty stadium, same for another team, three games at home in the next week, and only 1000 people will be allowed to go see those games. you mentioned those breaks in coronavirus case, has any link been made between the reinduction of fans and increased cases? not really, not really. we don't have any cases because of going to the stadium, not really. there is a protocol inside the stadium, of course, not really social distancing, the 5000 people are in the same stands. so it's not very logical. they are all right next to each other, but some people we re next to each other, but some people were infected because they came to the stadium, not really. how important has been very french sports, for venues and a sports and governing bodies, but also the french way of life to be able to go

at the weekend and watch some live sports? it was very important. it was very important just sports? it was very important. it was very importantjust because france was the only country of the big five to cancel the season very very early in april. it was also the first country to bring fans back to the stadium which is quite a paradox. it was very important for french people to go back to the stadium, very good for the economy, because we heard in your report that's clubs need incomes, they really needed, and it's important for clu bs to really needed, and it's important for clubs to have people back at the stadium. for french people to live a little bit of a normal life because now it's been six months with the coronavirus. it's been very long for everybody everywhere in the world. we really need to feel that again and to be together, even if it's only 5000 people, it's good for french people to go back into see sport events, to go to concerts, to

hear music, to go to the cinema, to go to the movies. thank you so much for bringing us up to date with that. that's our football correspondent in paris there. we will find out whether uk will be following france and having more people in stadium this autumn. the impact of having no spectators has been felt across all sports. today the elite ice hockey league season has been suspended. the campaign was expected to resume in december but with the continued restrictions on crowds all ten teams have unanimously agreed the season cannot go ahead. seth bennett has this report. this was the final act before the elite league was put on ice. shut down in march and now the players and owners are dealing with the reality that the sport will not return this year and there will be no 2021 season. we know it has been coming for a while to be honest, we bounced around the options, looked at the

government advice, nothing's really changing. so it's not news to most people in the elite league, it's just when the call had to be made. you have to see if crowds can be allowed in, and without that, there will obviously be nothing. so it's a scary time, to be honest. the coated restrictions on watching live indoor entertainment means the clubs are not able to operate and that top—flight ice hockey, as things stand, is not viable. it's also complicated by the fact that there are teams in england, scotland, wales and northern ireland. we need to play in front of fans, the teams in early generally average 70—100% of fans coming that's where we need to make it work. so we are, at this point, we cannot start. for the players, no means tough decisions will be have to be made. ray britton cap in place for the sheffield steelers and with no prospect of elite league hockey in the uk, he is considering a move abroad just to pay the bills.

i think, for me, if there is no hockey played here, i am going to have to look to go away and see what's there, but, again, there are so many players looking for so few jobs right now, so it's tough. so many players looking for so few jobs right now, so it's toughm so many players looking for so few jobs right now, so it's tough. is it a scary time? yeah, definitely. over 1 million fans watch live heights hockeyin 1 million fans watch live heights hockey in the uk in 2019, now though, they, like the players and donors, face a long wait, and more moments for this. —— for more moments for this. —— for more moments with like this. seth bennett, bbc news. i'm joined by the owner and ceo of the cardiff devils todd kelman. thanks forjoining us todd — after six months with no ice hockey was today's decision almost inevitable? there was a sense in that report that this decision to suspend the league, all ten teams in it together, there was a sense of inevitability to that decision. yeah, i mean, we are in a different situation because our players aren't living here full—time. some of them

are, captain jonathan phillips living here full—time. some of them are, captainjonathan phillips lives here full—time, but a lot of our players are imports players, and there is a cost to bringing them over and starting the season. so if this ever happens or the time to haveit this ever happens or the time to have it happen is now. it's a far better situation to decide ahead of the season to not go ahead have to shut down the season to not go ahead have to shutdown in a month or two and into the season. worrying times for the sport and for the welfare of the players? lots of minority sports in the uk hanging on by a thread. absolutely. you know, if you follow ice hockey in the uk, you realise how popular it is with our cult following. we have over 1 it is with our cult following. we have overi million people watching it every year which is huge. yeah, asa minor it every year which is huge. yeah, as a minor league sports, you are not football or rugby or crickets, and you can you know, you can rely, i heard the reports can be reliant people through the turnstiles. we always say we are abundant business and we need people to pay for tickets and attend our game, we

don't have the