In a devastating blow to cash-strapped sports bodies, plans for a partial return of spectators from 1 October were scrapped amid a rise in coronavirus cases.
Turnstiles have been closed since March, despite sports insisting that pilot events with socially-distanced crowds have been achieved safely.
There has been further controversy because some arts venues, such as the O2 and Royal Albert Hall, will be allowed to host audiences of up to 5,000 people next month, leading to accusations of inconsistency and favouritism from the sports industry.
Last week during a parliamentary debate on the issue, the government refused to say when it expects spectators to be allowed back inside sports venues in England. Almost 200,000 people have signed petitions calling for fans to be able to return.
However, there are fears that opening stadia could lead to a greater risk of transmission.
“Everyone’s saying, ‘can I get back to my stadium?'” Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said last week.
“You times that by multiple levels, leagues and sports, and all of a sudden we’ve got a whole scale far beyond what is acceptable at this moment in time.”
But, in what will come as a major boost to sport, there now seems to have been a shift in approach.