East Fife chairman confident for return

East Fife chairman Jim Stevenson reckons that the Fifers can overcome the work required to make the Locality Hub Bayview safe for football and the necessary documentation to allow the game to return.

However, coronavirus testing could be a major stumbling block.

Stevenson explained: “The Premiership has a proposed start date of August 1.

“However, there is no such date for the Championship and Leagues 1 and 2.

“Some of this is due to the ongoing uncertainty of league reconstruction but mainly it is down to the restrictions imposed on football, and sport in general, during this pandemic.”

“We have been given guidelines on a phased return to training and we are considering what measures we can put in place to facilitate this. There are a lot of protocols that will mean some extensive alterations within the stadium and some onerous paperwork, but we feel that these are achievable.”

“The stumbling block that we foresee is the bi-weekly testing for Covid-19 and the restrictions placed on players and staff outwith the actual physical training days.

“The possible injection of cash to all clubs from the philanthropist James Anderson would assist greatly with the costs of the testing but the logistics of this present all clubs with some extremely difficult hurdles.”

Stevenson added: “We are in constant dialogue with the SPFL and SFA to try and resolve these issues, but please do not underestimate the difficulties this will impose on us.

“The management and players are desperate to resume training, but their health and safety must be paramount. I know that every player is doing all they can to stay in shape so that when they do return it will not take too long to regain full fitness.”