Discussions To Be Held This Week Over Fan Returns To Football In Scotland

Talks between the Scottish government and the football authorities aimed at seeing a return of fans to games will take place later this week. From next Monday the country will move to a five-tier Covid-19 restriction system as opposed to the current three-tier system in England.

The Scottish FA and SPFL will query what this means for football, given the proposed framework says areas in tiers zero and one can open stadiums to a restricted number of fans.

Apart from two test games in September, one at Aberdeen’s Pittodrie Stadium where 500 spectators were granted entry and the same number allowed to attend Ross County’s home ground in Dingwall for the visit of Celtic, fans have not been back to watch live football at the top echelons of the Scottish game since March.

Professor Jason Leitch, the national clinical director, has confirmed that both those events were a success and that further trial games were only on hold due to rising case numbers in the region.

Meanwhile, there is still no update on the mooted financial supported that could flow from a sports recovery fund set up by the Westminster government.

Many clubs across the UK still remain in limbo as regards the potential survival packages that will be available to them and if this will be enough with the ongoing uncertainty surrounding a clear strategy around the safe return of supporters to stadiums.