lingfield, one of four meetings in england with paying spectators. the hope that today proves a safe start and a move in the right direction. it is worth noting, of course, that gci’oss it is worth noting, of course, that across the professional leagues of england, half the clubs are still in tier 3 and england, half the clubs are still in tier3and are england, half the clubs are still in tier 3 and are therefore unable yet to welcome the fans back. also, with just 2000, it is of little financial benefit. in fact a night here in shrewsbury they reckon it will cost the clubs thousands of fans, that is the clubs thousands of fans, that is the cost of extra stewarding —— thousands of pounds. after almost nine months without paying spectators, sport has massively missed the atmosphere and the passion that they bring, and finally tonight they are reunited. time for a look at the weather here's darren bett. it is turning colder once again, but it is also turning wetter in the next few days. for many, it will be rain but there will be some sleet in

there too, and we are likely to find some snow in the hills as well. we are seeing colder air pushing down from the north—west today, the blustery winds bringing all these shower clouds will stop for cloud coming in from the atlantic and a band to clear away from the south—east of england, bringing some rain. 0nce south—east of england, bringing some rain. once that goes, we are all in the colder air, there were showers in northern ireland and particularly scotla nd in northern ireland and particularly scotland turning increasingly wintry. we are more likely to have a first in scotland and northern ireland, some icy conditions too, maybe not quite so cold in england and wales because the cloud will be increasing again, wetter weather coming in from the atlantic, so a wet day for wales in the south—west tomorrow, some snow developing in the hills of wales, some of that rain pushing into the midlands across east anglia and the south—east, northern england writer with some showers and those wintry showers in scotland get pushed away, so it is turning drier through the day. increasing amounts of sunshine but it's cold. temperatures barely above freezing. the highest temperatures tomorrow along the south coast but without rain coming in and some wet weather in the south—east tomorrow evening. low pressure in charge, bands of wet weather swelling around it, the one

in the north could be more significant. travel disruption likely on friday morning with snow falling across much of scotland, heavy on the hills, gradually that's no tending to turn to rain but we are stuck with wetter weather across northern england, the midlands and east anglia on friday, some snow in the hills here and maybe some sleet at lower levels too. the details could change but at the moment it looks dry in the south of wales, and the south—west of england. it will be cold on friday and windy, especially around coastal areas. but gradually over the weekend, things calm down. we are still going to be cold but it should be turning drier and the winds will be dropping as well. that's all from the bbc news at six, so it's goodbye from me and, on bbc one, we nowjoin the bbc‘s news teams where you are.

hello and welcome to sportsday — i'm gavin ramjaun. lots to come on today's show. football fans are set for their long—awaited return

to some efl grounds tonight, we'll be live at shrewsbury town shortly. all eyes on the fi hotshots — george russell fills in for champion lewis hamilton. and mick schumacher, son of legend michael, joins the paddock. and elfyn evans has his eyes on the prize, but could he soon end britain's i9 year wait for a world rally champion? iam i am focused and i'm trying to do the best job we i am focused and i'm trying to do the bestjob we can and it happens. if it happens. hello and welcome to sportsday — thanks for being with us this evening.

it's been a long long wait — but fans of some professional clubs in england will finally be allowed in to watch their teams tonight — under the government's new tier based system. up to 2000 spectators will be at the games involving charlton, shrewsbury and cambridge united, and carlisle — with a thousand at wycombe and luton town. 0ur sports editor dan roan is at montgomery waters for us, ahead of shrewsbury‘s league one game with accrington stanley. — a huge evening to look forward to for supporters, and the efl. big night ahead for for the efl as well? yes, it is one of six matches this evening and be efl where fans will be back. it is hugely significant and symbolic moment, almost nine months to get they sense action was forced behind closed doors in professional sport in england. we will be speaking to some of the fence yesterday and it means a great deal to them. there was a pilot event in september where a thousand season—ticket holders are allowed inside to enjoy a match

against northampton town but this is the first time since march that there has been a national organised effort and a match day programme where fans have been welcome back inside. there are a few new protocols which fans will have to get used to and they are not using the turnstiles here because they are regarded as too tight and using the main gates to make sure the corners of the stadium and spectators will all have to wear facemasks and it is obligatory for this match on the decision is taken by the club's safety staff. 0ther protocols designed to enhance safety such as that as well. i think some context is useful to consider here. for many clu bs, is useful to consider here. for many clubs, half the clubs across the profession leagues in tier 3, they can't welcome fans back but the weight goes on and i think financially this is of limited benefit at this stage. that would have to come when one of more fans if they are allowed in the future. here in shrewsberry they say tonight

that involve them and because they can only have a face of the capacity tonight, it would cost them several thousand pounds a nazis tonight. nonetheless they are delighted to welcome fans back and they need it and the players feel the need for it as well and that any to supportjust can't wait to be back. we have over the last few months really felt the lust of the atmosphere and passion which supported and spectators across professional sport bring in the felt very empty and there's been something of a blade in professional spectator sport. for the first time in months it seems it is a start to and being that void and the hope will be a proves it safe in the future weeks and months ahead and there numbers can improve and increase. while many fans will be understandably excited about attending games in stadia again — getting crowds to return in the long run could prove a tough task — but they are optimistic. i think we will unfortunately lose

some of those supported who have seen the ease at which streaming can be available and it may suit them. i know lots of fans and with god fans dotted throughout the country and it would not be feasible for them to get tonight even if they could. tonight as a pilot event is a really encouraging sign i believe for the next home game which is coventry i think the attendance will rise from a thousand to 2000 and we got ourselves into the new year to see how the vaccine will is out and i hope that everybody can be back to watching football and probably enjoy notjust the watching football and probably enjoy not just the game watching football and probably enjoy notjust the game but everything before, the socialising and everything else and get back to some level of normality. so a lot of hope then for football to get to where it was, before the pandemic. and while fans attending tonight will be glad to see the return of fans, there is still some trepidation.

a bbc poll suggests there is some division among supporters. joe lynsky is here in the studio, and joe you've been looking at some of the data here. the bbc‘s been collecting data from the polling service comres around how football supporters feel right now as they're allowed back into stadiums. the key takeaway from today's fans on football poll is that opinion is more split than you might think. of 2,100 match—going football fans only 52% said now‘s the right time to go back into grounds — 45% said fans shouldn't go before a vaccine's widely available. of course we've had the breakhtough news today about the pfizer biontech vaccine but it may well be weeks or months before the whole population receives the jab — and i2% of fans said they'd never go to a match before that happens. now that unease may not be what the government expected, 200,000 people signed a petition to let fans back in and boris johnson reportedly said he'd make

the issue a personal priority as we come out of lockdown — that's what's led to tonight's historic return of supporters. but one group who may feel most reluctant to go back are those in the high risk health category. i've been speaking to one chair of a disabled supporters club in a tier 2 area club. i think they are excited butjust i think they are excited but just a little bit apprehensive and we don't know what plans for southampton football clu b know what plans for southampton football club have got although i am sure it will be good and safe and getting into the stadium and getting away from the stadium and once you're in the stadium to supporters and start to move around and start shouting and is there more risk, any situation they are still not sure with the first few games anyway they wa nt to

with the first few games anyway they want to go back and reschedule. for some people it's the only opportunity they get to leave their house and get into the community so it's a really important thing for the mental health for a lot of our disabled supporters. the mixed views but the one thing i will say foot ball but the one thing i will say football clubs have been very progressive in terms of making contact with their disabled fans but in saying that the cannot replace being ina in saying that the cannot replace being in a stadium and sharing your team on. there's also unease among older age groups. 0nly14% — one in seven people over 55 say they'd regularly go to games before the vaccine arrives. interestingly onlyjust over a third of younger adults say they'd go regularly now. more than half of that older age group also say they're not going to any match before the jab. this poll's also looked into other issues in football during the pandemic, it asked fans who most of all should help clubs stay afloat. 0pinion‘s pretty split here — the most popular answer

was that the leagues should come up with the money. 22% think the government should provide funds, even though they say elite football is rich enough to fund itself. finally comres have also asked fans how they feel about their club now. pretty much all matches have become a television product rather than a live experience since march, but yet still 28% of fans say they care more about their club now than before the pandemic. 0nly10% of those polled say they care less about their club. you can see more of the numbers on the bbc sport website and gavin i wonder if we'll see as much love for var when fans feelings on that are published on friday. ican imagine i can imagine that being a hot subject to debate on friday. thank you very much. a quick round—up of some of the day's other

sports stories and... a thousand boxing fans will be allowed into wembley arena, for anthony joshua's heavyweight title defence against kubrat pulev this month. local authorities have given the go—ahead, with london falling into tier 2 of the latest covid—i9 restrictions. tyson fury will remain on this year's bbc sports personality of the year award shortlist. earlier today the world heavyweight boxing champion said he wanted to be taken off the list. but a bbc spokesperson said ‘the shortlist is decided by an independent expert panel who choose contenders based on their sporting achievement. on this basis he will remain‘. ludlow, lingfield, and haydock race courses all welcomed back spectators today, with kempton set to have a crowd this evening following the lifting of the national lockdown. all four tracks are in tier 2 areas, allowing crowds of up to 2,000 people or 50 per cent capacity — whichever is lowest. england's andy sullivan carded an 11 under par opening round of 61 to lead by two shots at the dubai championship..... to break 60 forjust the second time in european tour history, he needed to birdie his final two

holes — this long—range attempt agonisingly close on his penultimate hole. and the three time uk championship winnerjohn higgins is out of this years tournament. higgins was beaten 6—2 by china's zhou yuelong in the last 16 in milton keynes. it's set to be huge weekend for george russell — the 22—year—old englishman is replacing lewis hamilton this weekend, who's missing the sakhir grand prix in bahrain due to a postive covid test.... and a schumacher will be back in the spotlight next season in formula one. craig templeton has more. this is being called the hottest feetin this is being called the hottest feet in formula i. this is being called the hottest feet in formula 1. why? because when venues broke that lewis hamilton contracted coronavirus to talk soon turn to who would replace him over

the weekend grand prix. we know it will be 22—year—old george russell, a young man with a golden opportunity to drive by the silver arrows. wessel was a junior and reserve driver with mercedes and has been handed the keys to the championship winning car after williams agreed to a temporary loan. he posted on social media saying nobody can replace this guy but i'll give my all for the team in his absence from the moment i stepped in the car. so what are his chances this weekend? the mercedes is a very dominant car in 2020. there is no doubt about that. they have got position won every race so i think it's highly likely that he could finish on the podium could he when? maybe, just maybe we could see george russell in his first race for mercedes winning a race. there space va cates mercedes winning a race. there space vacates that it will be filled by jack a team who will be giving his formula i debut at the penultimate race of this event. it was also a

huge announcement for