8 Dons stars in Covid-19 isolation
8 Dons stars in self-isolation over party at virus hotspot but club dodge lockdown and play on
ABERDEEN players have been ordered to self-isolate after a night out at a virus hotspot in the city.
But it emerged last night the club will avoid being forced into total lockdown.
SCOTTISH football has narrowly avoided nightmare government intervention after eight Aberdeen stars were caught partying in a coronavirus hotspot.
Record Sport understands the Pittodrie club was on the brink of being forced into a twoweek lockdown yesterday by politicians and health experts after two Dons players tested positive for Covid-19 following a team night out in the virus-hit city centre.
After crisis talks between
Holyrood and Hampden’s Joint Response Group, it was agreed Derek McInnes can take a heavily depleted squad to St Johnstone for tomorrow’s live TV clash so long as no more cases are confirmed within the squad in the next 24 hours.
McInnes had to abandon a training session yesterday following the first positive test and the furious boss immediately ordered an internal probe. Seven more players admitting to being out on the town on Saturday night following a 1-0 defeat to Rangers.
The entire squad then had to undergo a further round of swabs and one player later posted a second positive test although he was awaiting the result of a follow-up screening late last night.
All eight players were ordered to return home and self isolate.
While mortified club bosses hoped their action might help calm the situation, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon convened an emergency meeting during which a plan to padlock Pittodrie for a fortnight was discussed.
It was only after further talks with the Joint Response Group that permission was given for Aberdeen to play despite the city being in lockdown.
The clusters erupted around packed pubs in the city centre and Record Sport revealed yesterday that a number of Aberdeen players were spotted mingling with revellers.
Holyrood advisers believe the players were in breach of the ‘return to training’ protocol drafted to allow top-flight football to return to action.
Dons chairman Dave Cormack apologised to the game’s governing bodies yesterday as the scale of the breach of protocol was becoming evident.
Cormack said: “Given the efforts of everyone at the club and our investment in protecting our most valuable assets, this is a bitter blow.
“With two first-team players testing positive for Covid-19, plus six others having to isolate for 14 days, it is also a harsh reminder of the severity and speed of spread of this virus.
“The club will be carrying out a full investigation but, as an immediate first step, we have reinforced the club’s Covid-19 protocols and the governing bodies’ guidance with every player and member of staff and will continue to regularly educate and remind everyone of what is, and what is not, acceptable in the current climate.”
An enforced shutdown, preventing Aberdeen from facing St Johnstone, Hamilton and champions Celtic over the next eight days, would have caused total chaos across the Premiership.
One Hampden source said: “It’s incredible that a group of players would chose to act in such an irresponsible manner given everything their club has been doing to keep them safe in the face of this pandemic. To say the government has been understanding would be a massive understatement.”