ATARGET WE CAN WORKTO

League 2 clubs agree to kick off season in October

Stirling Albion have clarity on a start date for the 2020/21 League 2 campaign after clubs voted on Friday for a 27-game season kicking off on October 17.

That is also the same day when the Championship and League 1 are due to start and fixtures for the three divisions are expected to be published towards the end of this month.

The Scottish Premiership fixtures for 2020/21 were released on Monday morning ahead of the August 1 kick-off, although that date has still to be approved by the Scottish Government.

Binos boss Kevin Rutkiewicz already has 15 players under contract for the new season after bringing in strikers Declan Byrne from Albion Rovers and Andy Ryan from Dunfermline Athletic, and winger Kieran Moore from Queen’s Park. There is still uncertainty as to when fans will be allowed to attend SPFL matches but Stirling at least now have a target to work towards, with the group stage of the Betfred Cup set to precede the League 2 restart in early October.

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: “I’d like to thank all clubs from across the four divisions for their contributions during this consultation period. Although the Covid-19 pandemic continues to cause significant challenges, there is now light at the end of the tunnel for professional teams across the country.

“We will, of course, continue to monitor the spread of the virus to make sure that any return to matches is safe for everyone involved and it is vital that we all continue to adhere to the strict protocols.

“While there is still a long way to go before football in this country returns to something resembling normality, these club decisions allow us to plan for a welcome resumption of matches. We will continue to consult with the Scottish Government and the other stakeholders about when we might expect crowds to return and what Scottish football can do to help progress to this ultimate goal.”