OXFORD United must start playing behind closed doors again following the latest update to coronavirus restrictions.

The government has this afternoon confirmed Oxfordshire will go from tier 2 to 4 on Boxing Day, meaning crowds at sporting events are not allowed.

As a result, the 2,000 fans who were set to attend Saturday's clash with AFC Wimbledon - and home games for the foreseeable future - will now have to watch from afar.

The club have said supporters who were allocated tickets for the Boxing Day match will have them transferred to the first game back in front of a crowd, while tickets for the visit of Doncaster Rovers on January 5 will no longer be available.

United’s managing director, Niall McWilliams, admitted the news was a real blow.

He said: “From a personal point of view, and as a club, I’m devastated.

“We were really looking forward to the Boxing Day fixture the team has responded really well to having fans back.

“We’re devasted for them, the manager, the team and the county.

“We understand the reasoning behind it, but it still doesn’t stop us feeling really disappointed.”

The number of cases has doubled week-on-week in parts of Oxfordshire, according to the county council.

The move to tier 4 comes less than three weeks after United welcomed 1,000 fans back for the Sky Bet League One draw with Hull City on December 5.

Just over 1,000 saw the penalty shoot-out win over Forest Green three days later in the Papa John’s Trophy, before 2,000 watched the U’s beat Northampton Town 4-0 on December 15.

That was the maximum number of supporters allowed in tier 4, but head coach Karl Robinson still felt it made a difference.

He said: “It’s a double edged sword.

“If it’s the right thing to do for fans’ wellbeing it has to be seen as a positive.

“The other aspect is it’ll be the biggest kick to us.

“Seeing the joy and the enthusiasm and people’s general zest for being back in a stadium has been quite remarkable.

“There are moments in the last few games we’ll remember for a long time.

“They certainly were the extra man and we do have a great connection with them - there’s no getting around that.”

“It’s frustrating, especially as we’ve had a taste of it and we know how good it is," added midfielder Alex Gorrin.

"If you look at the last few games we’ve played at home with a crowd, it's not just been the result but our performance.

"We didn’t have one flat moment, every time we were a bit flat we had that energy again."