The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Mackay sceptical over January return of fans
Ross County manager Malky Mackay fears it will be a long time before big crowds are back in Scottish football grounds.
County and Rangers were the only two cinch Premiership clubs who wanted to play the festive fixtures as scheduled in the wake of new Scottish Government restrictions which limit crowds at outdoor events to a maximum of 500.
In the end, the Scottish Professional Football League board found a compromise that will see Boxing Day games go ahead in near-empty stadiums while the other two rounds have been put back several weeks until after the winter break.
However, Mackay fears the three-week restrictions will be extended as the Scottish Government bids to keep the latest wave of the pandemic to manageable proportions.
Mackay, whose team beat
St Johnstone 2-1 on Wednesday night, said: “I think the SPFL board have advised well because had Boxing Day gone, there’s not another spot left to actually play that game. So fixtures wouldn’t be finished. Whereas there’s two spaces for the other two games.
“Overall, I genuinely think, and it’s my own opinion, that it might be a while before we see big crowds in stadia again.
“I don’t see governments changing that for a while.
“I get why the break was brought forward but I also don’t believe, in three weeks’ time, everybody is going to be back in stadia again.”
County had 151 supporters at Mcdiarmid Park as 2,249 fans defied government calls to consider whether to go to games ahead of the restrictions coming into force on Boxing Day.
Mackay, whose team face Hearts at Tynecastle on Boxing Day, said: “We love playing with fans in stadiums. Last Wednesday night when Celtic came up with 3,000, the stadium was rocking.
“It was great that our fans went to Perth on Wednesday night, I was absolutely buzzing. It was fantastic that three days before Christmas that amount of our fans decided to come down.
“There is a real young group who are starting to follow us with real excitement.
“But overall it’s tough times for everyone and we have all just got to make the best of it. The 12 chairmen came to an amicable decision with the SPFL and there was a compromise for everyone to play Boxing Day.
“And then I think we will be going back into fairly empty stadiums after that, unfortunately.”
Meanwhile, Motherwell manager Graham Alexander claimed the Scottish Government is undermining other public health messaging by selecting a random and blanket crowd restriction.
National clinical director Jason Leitch said this week that public health officials and politicians “had to draw a line somewhere” and admitted it was very difficult to choose a number.
But Alexander, whose side host Livingston on Boxing Day, said: “I don’t see the sense in just coming up for a number – 500 for us and 500 for Celtic is completely different. It might be the same number but it’s completely different relevance for each club.
“I think things like that undermine other messages that are evidence-based and thought-out, and there’s an idea behind a decision.
“Throwing a number because you have to draw a line, that for me weakens any other argument you come up with when you are making decisions.
“I think that’s just decision-making on no evidence at all and no understanding of the contrasts between each club.”
Deputy First Minister John Swinney later claimed that setting a 500 limit “sends a very clear signal” for people to reduce interaction.
Alexander said: “It’s a commonsense decision to bring the break forward. We are a little bit disappointed that we are playing Sunday – not the actual game but in front of only 500 fans.
“We have seen the contrast between no supporters and a full Fir Park. It’s a massive difference for us.
“They are an important part of everything we do at the club, we are a fanowned club, so to not have them here in numbers is disappointing, but we have to understand the scenario we are in at the moment.
“But I thought bringing the break forward was the only decision.”