THIS weekend, tens of thousands of football fans will need to show evidence of double vaccination or a negative lateral flow test to watch their team. Thousands more will not.

As usual, the government could have been clearer on the rules.

Why not make Covid passes mandatory for all stadiums with a capacity of 10,000-plus, where there is no grey area, rather than the attendance, which will change based on a number of factors?

Admittedly, clubs like Carlisle United and Luton Town have presented a reasonable argument against this in the past few days.

Brunton Park and Kenilworth Road hold more than 10,000 people but crowds rarely reach that number, so they would be imposing a rule that does not apply to them.

Oxford United are in a similar boat, with this season’s highest home attendance of 9,082 comfortably short of 10,000.

But with Covid certification likely to be needed for some upcoming games, home and away, is it not a good idea to get people into the habit?

It is not much of an ask to spend two minutes downloading your pass, or doing a lateral flow test on the morning of the match.

If the alternative is not going to football - and we saw last season how depressing that is - then it is not a huge sacrifice.

Nobody wants to see tougher restrictions return, in football or anywhere else, so Covid passes should not be treated as a burden. It could be much worse.