SPFL club could make finishing season tough’

‘Coronavirus hitting one

JUST one club being hit by the coronavirus outbreak would make the Scottish football season “very difficult” to complete, the Scottish Professional Football League’s chief executive Neil Doncaster has said.

Doncaster’s statement followed the announcement that England’s final Guinness Six Nations match against Italy in Rome on March 14 was the latest sporting event to be postponed due to the spread of COVID-19.

Following discussions with the Scottish Government, Scottish football’s Joint Response Group updated its members on the latest situation just hours before the first death in the UK of a patient diagnosed with the illness was confirmed.

Given the limitations of the fixture calendar, a view was taken that the SPFL and S c o t t i s h FA should “endeavour to complete the season and fulfil their obligations under their broadcasting agreements”.

However, SPFL boss Doncaster warned a change in the circumstances could have a major impact on the remainder of the campaign.

He said: “We are taking a pragmatic approach to the current situation and have alerted our members to the fact that, if the outbreak affects the first team of even one SPFL club, it could make completing the SPFL season very difficult, so first-team players and staff should be extremely vigilant.”

However, Scotland’s chief medical officer has insisted scientific evidence suggests m a ss g a t h e r i n g s a r e unlikely to result in the virus being passed on.

Speaking at Murrayfield ahead of Scotland’s Six Nations clash with France, Dr Catherine Calderwood said: “I’ve looked at the scientific evidence very carefully, and what’s emerging is that there’s actually very little impact on virus spread from mass gatherings, particularly if they are in the open air.”