DON’T BLOW IT
Doncaster urges fans to behave at SPFL test events
SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster has urged fans attending Saturday’s two test events to be on their best behaviour — or risk blowing a golden opportunity for Scottish football to return to normality.
The Scottish Government have given the go-ahead for limited numbers of supporters to attend the matches between Aberdeen and Kilmarnock at Pittodrie and Ross County and Celtic in Dingwall.
And Doncaster warned the 300 supporters attending each game that the hopes of clubs and fans up and down the country will weigh heavily on their shoulders.
Insisting that the very survival of football in Scotland is at risk the longer punters are locked out, he said: ‘There’s a huge amount at stake for everyone. None of us want to be prejudicing the safe return of fans.
‘There are some other leagues, particularly those south of the border, where money coming in
through the turnstile is less relevant. In Scotland, money from fans, money through the turnstile, is absolutely crucial.
‘We all want the atmosphere that fans create back at grounds but clubs need fans back in stadia in order to survive economically.
‘It’s a very, very difficult financial balancing act and we need to have a route map back to fans in stadia. That’s the reason why this weekend’s events are so important.’
Football’s authorities hope that if a series of trial runs are successful, thousands of fans will be allowed back through the turnstiles within a matter of weeks. But Doncaster insisted: ‘It’s genuinely too early to speculate about what the future may be. It’s changing day by day.
‘We’ve seen cases develop across the UK and Europe and trying to extrapolate forward even a few weeks is difficult enough let alone a few months.
‘We need to take it one step at a time, look at each week’s events, see what we can agree with government, be responsible, and make sure any event that takes place happens safely and ultimately get us one step closer to normality. But there are going to be lots and lots of steps.
‘There is no firm timeline. Covid-19 is an ever-changing picture that changes by the day, and the government will have to respond to those changes.
‘We shouldn’t take anything for granted and we will continue to work closely with government. But we should not be looking forward too much.’
Rangers and St Mirren had their proposals for a test event this weekend rejected, with extended coronavirus restrictions covering a million people in the west of Scotland effectively killing off their hopes of taking part in the pilot scheme.
Premiership clubs watched enviously as 700 rugby fans were granted access to last month’s Edinburgh v Glasgow clash at Murrayfield.
Celtic have been particularly up front about their desire to stage a pilot event as a precursor to something bigger. But they were left disappointed when their bid to welcome back 1,000 supporters to last month’s home match with Motherwell was rejected — even as rugby was having its plan accepted.
Now, the league and member clubs hope that, if Saturday’s games don’t lead to localised spikes in coronavirus, bigger crowds will be allowed back on a regular basis. Welcoming yesterday’s development, Doncaster said: ‘It’s a relatively small step in terms of numbers of fans. Three hundred in large stadia is a drop in the ocean.
‘But it’s a really important step. We have to remember that, since the shutdown in March, we’ve not had fans in stadia and it’s been a long road back.
‘So to be a little bit in the lead in terms of league football in the UK, to have fans back in stadia this weekend, is a great boost.
‘It’s testament to the huge amount of work being done by the Joint Response Group (JRG) and the 12 clubs.
‘We had stadia and earlier games in mind.
‘We were hoping for a test event on the weekend of August 29/30 when Murrayfield held its event on behalf of all sport in Scotland.
‘That wasn’t to be and we have been working with government to try and get other events on and we are very pleased to have these events on this weekend.
‘We had been hoping for a third pilot to be granted at St Mirren this weekend but that wasn’t possible due to a local lockdown in force.
‘We had been hoping to have one at Ibrox this weekend but, again, because of local restrictions, the government felt having two in the north at Dingwall and Pittodrie was the right approach — and we were happy to go along with it.
‘We should be looking to ensure these two events this weekend are a success and we are able to report back that they were safely held with no concerns.
‘That should give everyone more confidence for future events.’
Public health officials want to wait two weeks after Saturday’s two test events in order to study local infection rates — and guarantee that there are no outbreaks traced back to the fixtures taking place.
Aberdeen and Ross County will provide post-match reports to inform any future pilot schemes.
Both clubs will undertake a ballot of season-ticket holders to determine who gains entry.
The lucky few granted access will have to be abide by tighter restrictions including a set — and strict — entry time printed on their ticket, as well as social distancing.
Although face masks are not mandatory at outdoor events, Aberdeen are advising supporters to wear them at all times, following the lead set by rugby.
Authorities are also keen to avoid singing and chanting where possible to avoid spreading the virus.
‘Although we recognised that fans will get excited, we believe that they all want to play their part in getting football back to normal,’ explained an insider.