Tech brings fans to the stadium

Denmark’s Superliga became the second league in Europe to make a return following the coronavirus-inflicted halt on proceedings, and one club – AGF Aarhus- looked to ensure their fans were as close to the action as possible.

Aarhus, founded in 1880, constructed a ‘virtual grandstand’ and with the use of Zoom, allowed fans to watch their season-opener against Randers from afar.

Around 10,000 fans joined in to watch their team play live, although it proved too much for some as the hosts were held to a draw by rivals Randers FC.

The giant screen was 40 metres long and 3 metres in height, with fans signing up for free tickets to participate while being given the option to choose where they ‘sat’ in the stand.

Another two, albeit smaller, screens were put in place, one for away fans and another for neutrals. Fans in different areas were encouraged to sing in unison, although trial runs before Thursday’s game resulted in sound difficulties. 

‘I’ve never been so busy before a game, which is funny when there are no spectators,’ AGF’s head of media, Soren Carlsen, told The Guardian. ‘My colleagues, to put it bluntly, have been working their a***s off to get everything working.’ 

‘When you go to football, it’s a community experience. That is lacking right now because of coronavirus. This is a chance for people to get together.’ 

The return of Danish football may also prove to be a source of inspiration for Premier League clubs ahead of England’s top flight returning on June 17. On Thursday, the league set a provisional date for the season to resume, leaving fans clamouring for the return of the much-missed sport.

Broadcasts of the behind-closed-doors games may also see artificial crowd noise superimposed on games to give the action some atmosphere in the absence of crowds.  Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach put cardboard cutouts in the place of fans in their seats for the return of the German league.