, Exeter City jump on the fan cut out bandwagon ahead of playoff tie

Exeter City jump on the fan cut out bandwagon ahead of playoff tie

From watching the Bundesliga over the past few weeks, the presence of no fans in a stadium is something which has taken a bit of adjusting to – for players and fans watching. Now, ahead of their playoff semi-final, Exeter City is the latest club to introduce an alternative to fans being in the stadium. Chairman Julian Tagg has been speaking to DevonLive about what the club is going to be doing.

Earlier in the week, Sky Sports announced that fans watching from the comfort of their sofa would be able to add crowd sound effects to the games live on Sky. FC Seol used life-size dolls to replicate the presence of fans in K-League games. However, this landed them a pretty hefty fine as they turned about to be ‘sex dolls’.

Thankfully, Exeter City aren’t quite going down the same route as FC Seoul. They are in the sense they will have fan presence, just in the form of cardboard cutouts.  The match will be played behind closed doors, the club hopes to enable ‘fans’ to have cardboard cutouts of themselves placed in the Stagecoach Adam Stansfield Stand for the home leg, which takes places at St James Park on Monday, June 22, at 5.15 pm.

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Club chairman Julian Tagg said:

“As a supporter-owned club, we are of course very disappointed that our matches in the Sky Bet League Two play-offs will be behind closed doors. You the fans, as shown by your recent season ticket refund donations which topped over £16,000, are the lifeblood of this club and it is of course with great sadness to all of us that you won’t be there to witness what will be the most important games of our season so far. However, I am told a scheme is underway for fans to have cardboard cutouts of themselves placed in the Stagecoach Adam Stansfield Stand for the home leg and I know you will all be there in spirit cheering on the players when they take to the field. We of course very much look forward to the day we can welcome you all back to St James Park but until then keep safe.”

Exeter will be hoping the presence of cardboard fans can spur them on to their third Wembley playoff final in four years – although this time they will be looking to go one better and gain promotion.

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