Gloves are off in Covid keepers row
Saints legend Money insists ‘dangerous precedent’ could now cause chaos
CAMPBELL MONEY has warned SPFL chiefs their hardball stance over St Mirren’s keeper crisis has set a dangerous precedent as he fears other clubs will suffer the same fate.
Former Celtic star Kris Commons claimed the league would never have forced the Old Firm to play without three keepers but Buddies shotstopping hero Money insists they will now have to.
Saints were rocked when two of their keepers tested positive for coronavirus while another was excluded as a precaution ahead of their clash with Hibs.
But they were ordered to play which left manager Jim Goodwin furious as he scrambled around before bringing in Bobby Zlamal on an emergency loan from Hearts.
Zlamal will be between the sticks for the visit of Celtic to
Paisley tomorrow night – a game that had to be rearranged after Celtic defender Boli Bongoli’s bonkers Covid rulebusting overnight in Spain.
That Scottish Government intervention put further strain on a fixture list that is already crammed and Money reckons that is the only reason St Mirren were told they would have to use an outfield player against Hibs had they failed to register a new goalie.
Money, now 60, played the last of his 400-plus games for St Mirren 24 years ago but was jokingly told to look out his gloves before his club media duty for the 3-0 defeat to the Hibees on Saturday.
On a more serious note, he told Record Sport: “A lot of people have said the SPFL wouldn’t have forced the Old Firm to play if either had been in the same situation but that is very easy for us to say now.
“A precedent has been set and Celtic would have to do the exact same and go and get someone on an emergency loan if the same thing happened to them ahead of Wednesday’s game.
“It’s a really dangerous precedent and given the way the SPFL arrived at the decision there’s a real possibility that it will happen again.
“There was a positive test and the other goalies were training with him. If one of the keepers tests positive then the likelihood is that the others will have to isolate.
“I can understand where Jim Goodwin is coming from because if three keepers were all injured in any normal season then I’m pretty sure the game would have been off.
“It’s an unfortunate set of circumstances and I’m sure the match wouldn’t have gone ahead if a team found themselves three keepers down in a normal season.
“But the lack of available dates to rearrange games means there is pressure to get fixtures played in order to complete the season and if that wasn’t the case then I’m pretty sure the game would have been called off.”
Money praised Hearts for allowing Zlamalmal to join St Mirren on loann just 24 hours after he appeareded in a friendly for the Jamboss and it will also be vital gameame time for the Czech aheadead of the Championshipp season kicking off next month.
He said: “Fair r play to Hearts for allowing Bobby Zlamal to go on a short- term contract. They didn’t need to do that and at least going into the game against Celtic on Wednesday St Mirren have someone with vast experience and has another 90 minutes under his belt. “One of the other keepers might be available as back-up if he tests negative so that would ease a bit of the pressure on (goalkeeping coach) Jamie Langfieldg as a sub. “I was working for StMirrenStMirren TV at the game on Saturday and when I turned up a lot of folk were joking, saying they hoped I’d brought g l oves with me!”