Exclusive: Tottenham at Marine could be used to debut digital health passports to boost fan numbers

Spectators at Tottenham's FA Cup third round tie at non-league Marine FC could be the first football crowd to try digital health passports to help boost Covid-19 crowd numbers.

Liverpool, Everton, Blackburn Rovers, Sale Sharks and Gloucester Rugby are also said to be interested in helping pioneer technology developed by a firm in advanced talks with safety groups.

Michael Gove said this week that there are no plans to introduce a 'vaccine passport' to help those who have had the jab to get into venues unchecked. However, a health passport, which can include same-day rapid test data, is still being strongly considered by safety groups to allow supporters to provide up-to-date health data.

The Daily Telegraph understands the Sports Technology and Innovation Group (Stig) - which includes the Premier League among its members - is discussing the "V-Health Passport" system amongst an array of options.

In the coming weeks, Stig will set out a menu of options to be considered by Oliver Dowden, the Culture Secretary, and other ministers. The Government is already understood to be working on an evolution plan to scale up numbers from their current 2,000-limit in tier two areas.

VST Enterprises, which is behind the V-Health system, says its programme is the most secure in the world, and it is ready to be scaled up for use across the sport, entertainment and leisure sector. The company has agreed with Martin Henderson, the chief executive of the Sports Ground Safety Authority, that it will provide trials of its system at pilot events free of charge, but events have yet to be confirmed.

Sir Kenny Dalglish, an ambassador for the company, has set up meetings with executives at Liverpool, Everton and Blackburn ahead of proposed events on Merseyside and Lancashire next month.

"We are also talking to Marine FC for the Tottenham Hotspur game in January," said Louis-James Davis, the chief executive at VST. "We've submitted our proposal to help them do that via Liverpool Council.”

VST uses a "secure and unhackable" code which can be either printed out or added to a phone to be presented at turnstiles when spectators arrive. As well as being a platform for Covid tests, it has contact tracing technology in-built, and can also authenticate vaccination records.

Sports venues in tiers one and two of the new regionalised system were able to welcome spectators from Wednesday, but the first Premier League crowd took place on Saturday at the London Stadium for West Ham's clash with Manchester United.

Larger-scale pilot events are already under “active discussion”, Stig confirmed earlier this week.

"I have no doubt that the most important thing in taking this forward will be proving that the 2,000 and 4,000 levels is something we can build upon," said its chair, Carphone Warehouse co-founder David Ross. “Responsible behaviour really underpins that route back.”

Regulation for the first vaccine has already turbocharged the Premier League's hopes of boosting numbers into the tens of thousands in the coming months. The Government is likely to green-light increasing numbers as soon as the most vulnerable get the jab. Clubs have set a target of getting their stadiums at least a third full before May.

The Telegraph disclosed last month how England's top tier was also at the heart of working on a potential blueprint on digital passports for the Government to consider. Both Mr Dowden and Richard Masters, the league's chief executive, have repeatedly raised the prospect of technology boosting the numbers of fans back in stadiums.

However, Stig chair Ross has  said  fan behaviour will underpin the ability to move towards those greater numbers. “Responsible behaviour really underpins that route back," he said earlier this week.

Premier League chairman Gary Hoffman and UK Sport chief executive Sally Munday are also among key figures on the advisory group. One of the first Stig initiatives was the launched of a campaign  For The Love Of Sport to emphasise the responsibilities fans have.

Wycombe have already posted a banner on their website ahead of Wednesday night’s match against Stoke, where fans will attend: “For The Love Of The Chairboys Please Keep A Safe Distance.” Venues will also be able to display "We’re Fan Ready" banners to show they have adhered to the protocols and guidance set out by the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) and Government.

The Government has also suggested it may look at making vaccination records a feature of the NHS Covid-19 contact-tracing app in England and Wales.