Crawford’s sympathy for clubs told to forfeit games due to Covid

Dunfermline boss Stevie C r awf o r d is hopeful games will be decided on the pitch this season after it emerged clubs are to be asked to cons ider compulsory 3-0 defeats if they cannot fulfil fixtures due to Covid-19.

Aberdeen and Celtic both had matches postponed early in the campaign because of co ronav i rus , and K i lma rno ck and St Mirren have since both been unable to p l ay because of positive tests and p layers self-isolating.

Emergency measures have been drawn up by the SPFL that would see teams forfeit the points if they h av e too m a ny players missing to field a team.

It is expected clubs will be consulted on the controversial proposal, which mirrors the policy in the Betfred Cup, with the likes of Hamilton boss Brian Rice and Ross County manager Stuart Kettlewell already voicing opposition.

Crawford – whose team last week defeated a Kilmarnock side with only five first-team players because of quarantine protocols – appreciates there is a lack of wriggle room in the fixture calendar but remains optimistic enough can be done by each club to avoid major virus.

He said: “We’re just having to make sure we’re adhering to the protocols that are in place – face masks, social distancing, we’re not car- sharing, even boys aren’t getting showered after games or training.

“We’re just trying to minimise the chances of anybody in the squad catching this virus.

“We’ve seen it at other clubs and it’s a tricky one, because you’re blind to how this virus is getting passed on from person to person.

“I really do sympathise. I heard Brian Rice talking about it and how they’ve been hit again by it.

“You can only really look after your own club and if it does present itself to us, we’ve just got to try to deal with it in-house the best we can in a way that doesn’t affect our performances on a Saturday.

“If you look at it from the organisational side of it, there are only so many weekends you can fill games with.

“You don’t want to see anyone punished, you want to see people competing to win points.

“I’m sure the powers that be will talk to the right people at clubs to make sure we try to fulfil as many fixtures as we possibly can.” outbreaks of the