WE CAN’T AFFORD TO TEST OUR PLAYERS
Hard-up clubs fear costs will KO top-flight kick-off
Skint clubs could scupper plans for a Scottish topflight kick- off on August 1 because they can’t afford Covid-19 tests.
The Scottish government has given the green light for a potential football restart in 62 days’ time. The SPFL wi l l outl ine plans at a meeting of the Premiership outfits tomorrow
but MailSport believes the cost of medical testing for coronavirus – which could be up to £6000 per week – will be a major stumbling block.
Celtic and Ross County have forked out for £35,000 testing machines ahead of the new season, which would start behind closed doors.
But other clubs have concerns over the costs and may seek financial aid from the SFA and SPFL to get season 2020/21 up and running.
Also, as the Scottish Government’s clinical director Jason Leitch cast fresh doubt over the August 1 target, clubs may be reluctant to bring furloughed players back on their payroll without guarantees of a restart.
A senior figure at one Premier ship club revealed if the authorities can’t pay for players’ tests they may need to get them done at NHS centres.
The source, who didn’t want to be named, said: “We couldn’t afford to pay for testing and are not alone. A raft of top-flight clubs couldn’t embark on the testing programme t hat government legislation may require.
“All it would take is for two clubs to admit they can’t afford it and the restart would be pushed back by months.
“A conservative estimate is it will cost around £ 4500 a week to get players, coaches and staff tested.
“Asking a club like ours to finance that is a nonstarter until we get fans back through the doors.
“We must get creative and that might involve trying to get players tested at NHS centres – but would it be ethical?
“I don’t want to kill the optimism of an August 1 restart but we must confront reality – clubs won’t have the money.”
Kilmarnock chairman Billy Bowie also doubts if the Rugby Park club could afford to test players and staff two or three times a week at around £50 per head each time.
He said: “If it comes to that, there’s no way we could afford up to £6000 per week.
“We don’t know the timescale either. If it went on for a year, that would be over £300,000.
“It’s a big ask to expect any club to pay that in the current climate.
“If the SPFL tells us we have to, to ensure the season starts, people would be asking for help.”
Champions Celtic and Ross County have already forked out for testing machines.
The Parkhead club have paid £70,000 for two as they look to get players training from June 11.
Staggies chairman Roy MacGregor says he’s ready to share his device without profit with sports clubs in the Highlands.
But he accepts that if certain clubs can’t afford it they will need help from the SFA or SPFL.
He told us: “We had to buy a testing machine because of our location.
“We could share it with the likes of Elgin City or other part- time clubs who are serious about testing their players.
“The result takes 20 minutes and you can do 15 tests in an hour.
“The cost for us, for 30 players and staff at £50 per head, two or three times a week, could be around £3000 per week on top of the cost of the machine.
“We felt we had to do it. But there’s no doubt that testing is the biggest challenge now for clubs.
“I can understand clubs who say they can’t afford it with no gate receipts.
“And somewhere down the line, help needs to come from the centre.
“If two clubs can’t afford it, you can’t play the Premiership. So a solution must be found to get the league going.
“And if one player at a club contracts the virus, we might not be able to fulfil fixtures – so we have to work together to find a solution.”
SPFL chiefs will brief clubs tomorrow on the government guidelines.
Dundee Uni ted’s sporting director Tony Asghar said: “The virus has made everything uncertain. But we’re ready to look at the options and react.”
But Professor Leitch told the BBC yesterday that fans shouldn’t get too excited just yet.
He said: “I’m not sure people should write August 1 on their calendars just yet.
“That’s what we’ve told the sporting bodies. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t prepare for it, of course we should.
“But planning is one thing, the go-ahead is an entirely different thing.”