The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Oz waiting game
Family matters for ex-United and Dee star McGowan.
Former Dundee and Dundee United defender Ryan McGowan might be hoping his Sydney FC side are crowned A-League champions but the coronavirus shutdown has brought family matters to the fore.
The football authorities Down Under called a halt to the season on Monday after playing behind closed doors for the past couple of weeks in an attempt to cram in the remaining fixtures.
The Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t hit Australia as hard as the UK yet and in an attempt to slow the spread of infection, the government shut non-essential services like pubs, clubs, gyms and places of worship on Monday with A-League chiefs following suit.
The 30-year-old left Scotland following Dundee’s relegation last season and his release from parent club Bradford City to join Sydney FC where he has enjoyed a campaign that’s seen them sit eight points clear at the top of the table.
However, wife Stephanie stayed in the UK and is due to give birth to their daughter on May 20.
McGowan, who played 41 times for Dundee United in a year at Tannadice, said: “She’s currently back in the UK.
“The A League was supposed to be finished on May 4 and our little one is due on the 20th so it was cutting it fine with flight restrictions and everything like that.
“It’s a pretty stressful time but she’s doing really well, so fingers crossed it all gets sorted out. I’ll be heading over on the first flight back to see everybody. It’s just a crazy situation and everyone the world over is just trying to make the best of it. Not only for the sake of players, fans and clubs but there’s a lot of people who have to think about a lot of different things.”
A-League chiefs have stressed the stoppage in play is just a postponement, but McGowan revealed tensions might not be so high Down Under should the current standings be declared final.
Sydney FC are in a similar position to McGowan’s former side United, sitting clear at the top of the table going into the shutdown.
The Sky Blues have three games in hand and an eight-point cushion on their nearest rivals Melbourne City, who have just four matches left of the regular season.
“Some teams had four games left and some teams had six or seven so we were at the tailend of our season,” added McGowan,
“With no relegation over here, it’s not as debatable as in the UK and other leagues in terms of people’s livelihoods. If they decide the season is stopping now there’s not going to be too many people that will think any different.
“We’re eight points clear and have the most games so needed only five or six points from six games to make it mathematically impossible.
“From a personal point of view, hopefully they suspend it and give us the title but it’s totally out of our hands.”
McGowan, who won the Scottish Cup with Hearts back in 2012, feels for the current crop at Tynecastle after it was announced full-time staff would be asked to take a 50% pay cut to help the club through the coronavirus shutdown.
Other clubs across the country may well have to follow suit but McGowan hopes that doesn’t come to fruition. He added: “You don’t want to see that. “I’ve been through that situation before and players aren’t on English Premier League wages earning millions and millions of pounds.”