Go ahead for SWPL and Leagues 1&2
The SPFL League 1 and League 2, plus the Scottish Women’s Premier League 1, can resume, but players must be tested before matches.
The Scottish Cup has also been given the go-ahead to resume with revised dates as soon as possible.
Nicola Sturgeon yesterday gave the clubs in those three divisions the green light to return to training.
Part-time professional football below the Championship had been suspended since January.
The SPFL League 1 and League 2, plus the Scottish Women’s Premier League 1, can resume football activity immediately, but players must be tested before matches.
The Scottish Cup has also been given the go-ahead to resume with revised dates as soon as possible.
At a media briefing yesterday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon gave the clubs in those three divisions plus “certain Highland League teams” the green light to return to training, but said players must be tested before matches.
Football below the Championship had been suspended since January due to the coronavirus pandemic. while clubs are able to return to training, no date has been set for the league season to resume and in what format it will take.
League One and League Two are in the middle of a truncated 27-game campaign. However, some clubs across the two divisions have played as a few as eight games. For SWPL 1, the start of a new season has been delayed.
As of yet, the future of the season for league sand clubs below League Two is still unclear.
The Scottish FA said: “Scottish Women’s Football Premier League 2, Highland League, Lowland League, East, West & South of Scotland Leagues, Scottish junior fa league sand the North Caledonian League all remain under temporary suspension and their return to football activity will be reviewed inline with the scottish government’s roadmap out of the covid-19cr isis .”
Updated fixture schedules for League 1, League 2 and SWPL 1 will be confirmed in due course.
Rod Petrie, the Scottish FA president, said :“we are pleased that the first minister has again recognised the importance of football in Scotland.
“The decision to temporarily suspend parts of the professionalgame played by predominantly part-time teams was not an easy one to take.
“Nonetheless, given the sharp rise in infection rates caused by new strains of the virus at the start of the year, it was the right thing to do to assist the national effort to reduce its prevalence during lockdown.
“The preparatory work undertaken with representatives of affected leagues and their commitment to the inclusion of weekly PCR testing, has given ministers the confidence to permit the return of SWPL 1 and SPFL League 1 and 2.
“While we are pleased to see the return of these leagues, there remain significant numbers unable to return to play, including the remaining levels of the professional pyramid, elite youth football, club youth football and our amateur and grass roots clubs across both the male and female game.
“We are acutely aware of the desire within those levels of football to return to playing football and we will continue to work with the Scottish Government to ensure they are able to as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Mairi Gougeon, the minister for health and sport, added: “We are aware of the importance of football, at all levels, to many people in Scotland
and I’m happy that we have been able to work closely with the Scottish FA to allow the resumption of some further football activity.
“This could only happen alongside enhanced measures to keep everyone safe, including mandatory weekly Covid PCR tests for all players and staff.”