It’s decision day for nine players who broke pandemic safety regulations

Celtic defender Boli Bolingoli and eight Aberdeen players are set to discover if they are to be hit with bans from the SFA for breaching Covid-19 safety protocols.

The two charges – failing to comply with regulations and bringing the game into disrepute – will go before a disciplinary hearing today.

Aberdeen had three games postponed after eight players (Jonny Hayes, Scott McKenna, Sam Cosgrove, Craig Bryson, Bruce Anderson, Dylan McGeouch, Matty Kennedy and Michael Devlin) breached coronavirus rules by going on a night out in the city following the August 1 loss to Rangers.

Two of them subsequently tested positive for Covid-19, with the players having to self-isolate for 14 days.

Celtic’s Bolingoli made a brief trip to Spain without telling the club and failed to quarantine on his return. The Belgian then came on as a sub against Kilmarnock just five days later. Two Celtic games were also postponed as a result.

The players face being handed bans ranging from between two and eight games if found guilty. The breaches also triggered a furious response from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who threatened to suspend football.

She said: “This is just not acceptable. Every day I ask members of the public to make huge sacrifices in how they live their lives and the vast majority of members of the public are doing that and it’s not easy.

“We can’t have privileged football players deciding they’re not going to bother. Consider today the yellow card, the next time it will be the red card.”

A review of Scottish football’s protocols also saw the SFA/SPFL Joint Response Group suspend training until August 24 for every club with the exception of those in the Premiership and Glasgow City.

Hearts were left incensed with that decision having been nearly two weeks into pre-season training.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon admitted earlier this week that an internal investigation into Bolingoli’s actions was drawing to a close. Aberdeen “fined heavily” the eight players involved, with those financial penalties being donated to NHS Grampian.