It won’t be Firhill for thrills with 500 fans
Restriction should be lifted early for big Championship TV clash
HOLYROOD chiefs were accused of plucking the 500-fan limit out of thin air when Scottish football was hit with the return of Covid restrictions for Christmas.
But there’s nothing airy about saying there are 4315 reasons to remove the curbs immediately and not wait until Monday’s Celtic v Hibs clash. In fact make that 4316. Why? Partick Thistle will host Kilmarnock tomorrow evening in a fixture that’d be circled as one of the top games on the Championship calendar at the start of the campaign.
And the fact only 500 punters will be allowed through the door is a travesty given just under nine times that attended September’s defeat by visitors Killie.
That crowd was 4315 to be precise. Add the small matter of the game being live on BBC and you have another major reason to open the gates on Firhill Road as wide as the Forth and Clyde canal behind the ground.
Scottish football often suffers an image problem when live games or highlight packages outwith the big two show swathes of empty stands.
The product on the park might not be as far behind down south in terms of entertainment value but when you see packed stadiums on one side of the border and empty seats on the other it produces an artificial gulf. So here we are with the prime opportunity to showcase the most competitive division in Scotland, perhaps the UK, with the two bestsupported teams and it’s being forced to go ahead in front of just 500 fans.
Three days later it could be rammed with an expectant home support and an Ayrshire contingent re-energised by Derek McInnes’ appointment.
Here’s another figure. Thistle estimate they will lose out on approximately £40,000 if the 500 limit isn’t removed.
And despite making a desperate plea to Holyrood yesterday, Jags bosses are not convinced the limits will be lifted in time for tomorrow’s kick-off.
In the midst of a transfer window, that sum could well be the difference between a signing to bolster the ranks and perhaps even to win the league.
No wonder Thistle’s statement yesterday – backed by the Rugby Park club – claimed they were being disadvantaged.
It said: “We don’t understand why this hasn’t happened immediately.
“The Premiership restarts on the 17th with full crowds but other leagues, playing as usual this weekend, continue to be disadvantaged for a further three days.
“As well as the significant financial impact on Thistle, this decision means our fans face another game where the majority cannot attend and we cannot welcome opposition fans.”
Unlike the bewildering crowd limit, the Jags’ statement is bang on the money. Not just Thistle but the other 14 clubs at home across the Championship, League One and League Two on Saturday will suffer.
Holyrood will argue the restrictions were brought in for a threeweek time-frame and that ends on Sunday.
But there seems little sense being attached to decisions.
Why, when the Premiership returns to full capacities will half of those attending be subject to proof of vaccination checks? The figure before was a third.
Fair play to Thistle for pressing the case ahead of tomorrow’s Killie crunch but it seems their efforts will likely be in vain.