Football given final warning to obey rules
SCOTLAND’S top football clubs are on a final warning as the Scottish Government says it will take action if there are any more breaches of coronavirus rules.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said players who are breaking the agreed rules are putting the livelihoods of their team-mates and other elite sports people if a new shutdown is imposed.
After just two rounds of Premiership matches the SPFL has postponed the next two matches involving Aberdeen and Celtic after the Glasgow club’s player Boli Bolingoli broke rules by going to Spain, despite it being on the quarantine list, and then returning to play in a match against Kilmarnock on Sunday without quarantining.
The First Minister said the sport is on a “yellow card” and made it clear that further breaches would lead to action to stop the season.
Sturgeon was visibly frustrated and angry at the Celtic player travelling abroad, and it came after eight Aberdeen players were forced to self-isolate after two tested positive following them all visiting a bar in the city.
She said: “This is just not acceptable. Every day I’m asking members of the public to make huge sacrifices in how they live their lives.
“The vast majority of members of the public are doing that and it’s not easy.
“We can’t have privileged football players just deciding that they’re not going to bother.”
Talks took place between officials including national clinical director Jason Leitch and club managers and captains.
It led to the football authorities agreeing measures that include penalties for players who break rules.
The First Minister said: “Consider today the yellow card, the next time will be the red card because you will leave us with absolutely no choice.
“You’re potentially hurting everybody if you don’t abide by the rules but you’re also hurting yourselves because you may end up not being able to play professional football.
“So, I hope the red card never has to come out because we’d all lose if that ends up being the situation.”
After the talks, the football authorities have agreed to put in place measures to prevent further breaches, including a player education programme to ensure players and staff are fully aware of their responsibilities.
The SPFL has also agreed to put in place punitive measures that can be implemented so it can directly take action against players in the event of further rule breaches.
The latest statistics showed 52 new virus cases, including 27 in Grampian and 13 in Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
There were 269 people in hospital with coronavirus – an increase of two. There were three people in intensive care, which was no change on the day before. There were no new deaths recorded.