A-League organisers will be hoping for a bumper crowd to kick off the 2020-21 season after the New South Wales government announced further easing of COVID-19 protocols on Wednesday.
From Monday, stadiums across the NSW and the Sydney metropolitan area will be permitted to operate at full capacity, premier Gladys Berejiklian announced.
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It means the Dec. 27 season opener between Western Sydney Wanderers and expansion club Macarthur FC could potentially have a capacity crowd of 30,000 in attendance.
The record crowd at the Parramatta venue since it was refurbished for an A-League fixture is 28,519 for the round three match last season between the Wanderers and crosstown rivals Sydney FC.
The Wanderers-Macarthur match is part of a historic double-header, which will also feature the season-opening clash of the W-League season between the Wanderers and champions Melbourne City.
Since the 2019-20 season was shut down in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, A-League crowds have been severely limited with only 7,051 attending last season's Grand Final between City and Sydney FC.