Thousands of fans but numbers don’t add up for Buddies
Supporters set to fill the stadium but Saints will be struggling to fill bench
COVID-STRUCK St Mirren were left hanging by SPFL chiefs last night after making a last-ditch plea for tonight’s Premiership clash with Celtic to be postponed.
The Buddies want their Old Firm double-header that includes a Boxing Day trip to face Rangers pulled after reporting another positive case in their squad yesterday – with further close contacts identified off that.
Saints shut down their training base yesterday and immediately contacted the SPFL stating they had fewer than the required 13 players available to fulfil the fixture. But league chiefs last night booted their request to cancel the fixtures into touch.
They say so long as enough of the close contacts receive negative tests back from the lab this morning then the game will go ahead. But Saints say they won’t know for days the results of the most recent PCR tests.
Talks with the SPFL were ongoing late last night with no resolution being reached. The Buddies were willing to go ahead with the fixture on Monday – despite their squad being decimated to the point Goodwin had only 10 outfield members of his first team available to face the Hoops plus three goalkeepers.
At that time 12 top-team stars were self-isolating as well as a member of coaching staff. But Saints were willing to play the fixtures with a number of their development team set to be fielded against Celtic – and 4000 travelling supporters expected in Paisley.
However, the crisis deepened on Tuesday morning when Saints reported a further positive case in their squad.
Goodwin and Marcus Fraser were due to speak to the press in their routine pre-match conference but the original 1.30pm slot was pushed back to 3.30pm before being shelved altogether as talks wth SPFL chiefs continued.
But bang on 5pm the Paisley club issued a statement confirming the media call was cancelled and that they were deep in talks with league bosses over cancelling both the Celtic fixture and the Boxing Day clash at Ibrox.
The statement said: “St Mirren can confirm it has requested postponements of our upcoming cinch Premiership matches against Celtic and Rangers following further positive Covid tests.
“We have tried our utmost to fulfil the fixture. However, following further positive Covid cases this morning we are unable to field a team for either match with a significant number of first-team players and staff unavailable.
“The health and wellbeing of our players and staff remains our utmost priority and we will continue to take every precaution necessary.
“We are in continued discussions with the SPFL and we will keep supporters updated as we look for a resolution to this matter.”
It comes less than two months after
Hibs had three Premiership fixtures postponed due to an outbreak of the virus in their squad.
They had reported two positive cases at their team hotel in the Highlands just hours before they were due to face Ross County in Dingwall – and were unable to field a team due to close contacts.
Subsequent games against Livingston and the rearranged County clash were called off with the number of positive cases and contacts reducing their squad – combined with injuries – to just eight over the age of 18 when league rules stipulate a minimum 10 in the matchday squad.
Dundee United were decimated for their trip to face Rangers on Sunday after an outbreak caused them to shut down their training base. Tam Courts fielded a starting XI containing teenagers Archie Meekison, Chris Mochrie, Darren Watson and 16-yearold Craig Moore for the 1-0 defeat.