Leyton Orient will welcome spectators for a home game at Breyer Group stadium against Bristol Rovers, for the first time since Cambridge United visited back in March.

The new health protection regulations, which came into effect on 2 December, means that 1,000 Leyton Orient season ticket holders have been selected by ballot to attend the match on 8 December.

The club have the capacity to increase numbers up to 2,000 (including the team) for future matches. A ballot system will be used to select season ticket holders to receive tickets to watch future matches and no away fans will be permitted to attend.

Officers from Waltham Forest Council’s Public Health, Building Control and Licensing Teams met with club officials to put in place a range of measures to create a Covid-secure environment for fans and players. These include:

Fans will receive a ‘code of conduct’: failure to comply with the code can lead to sanctions, including suspension of season tickets

Only fans who live in tier one or two areas will be able to attend matches

Staggered entry times are being devised: fans are encouraged to arrive early, and the stadium will be open two hours before kick-off

Admission will be through the gates and turnstiles will be closed

Mask wearing will be mandatory in the stadium unless an exemption applies

All food concessions in the stadium will be closed as these restrict the concourses. Attendees will be advised to bring their own food and drink (no alcohol)

Brisbane Road will be closed to allow additional social distancing, though there may be food traders

Additional stewarding will be in place. Up from 83 on a normal match day to 106 in total

Other measures include sanitising stations, temperature checks and clinical waste for disposal of masks and gloves

Further measures are also in place in respect of staff and playing staff of both home and away teams.

Cllr Clyde Loakes, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: “Leyton Orient Football Club are working hard to provide a safe environment for fans and players to enjoy the beautiful game once again. Every small step towards normality is hard-won and I want to remind everyone that only by carefully following the rules can we continue to make progress to beating Covid and getting more fans back into cheering on the mighty O’s”

CEO of Leyton Orient Football Club, Danny Macklin, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming fans back to The Breyer Group Stadium. Football without fans is not the same, whilst we of course want to welcome back everyone we see the return of fans as a step-by-step process.

Those fans successful in the ballots can rest assured we are taking every measure possible to make their return an enjoyable and safe one. We have made the wearing of face masks mandatory (except for under 11’s and those with medical exceptions).

Furthermore, we will have temperature checks upon entrance and have issued guidelines to fans to ensure every measure is taken – I would like to thank the fans for their co-operation and staff for the extensive hard work that has gone into enabling a safe as possible crowd return.”

Lifelong Leyton Orient supporter, Jeff Green, said: “I am currently eagerly waiting to hear if I have been lucky in the ballot to get tickets for the next two league matches. I cannot wait to get back to the ground to see a live match and banter with the ‘Justin Edinburgh Stand’ neighbours who over the years have become firm friends.

As much as I have enjoyed watching all our matches, I have found that being at the ground is the only real way to get involved. Singing ‘Rocking all over the World’ at home is not the same. I can’t wait to get back to Leyton where I was brought up and so proud to be a lifelong supporter of this great family club.”