Testing times for fans as they return to games
Supporters returned to Scottish football yesterday for the first time since March 12.
Then, some 47,494 fans packed into Ibrox to see Rangers take on Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League.
Yesterday it was a very different story. For each of this weekend’s two special trial events, at Aberdeen, who played Kilmarnock and Ross County, who played host to Celtic, just 300 fans were allowed in – and they had to be followers of the home teams.
The events were intended to be a forerunner to phased general return from today but that has been pushed back three weeks to October 5 due to the countrywide increase in Covid-19 cases.
Rising numbers in the Glasgow area also put paid to a third event, with Ibrox also due to have 300 of their supporters for the visit of Dundee United.
The setbacks added a bit of extra novelty to the events with the lucky winners of the ballots in good spirits before kick-off time.
At Dingwall’s Global Energy Stadium social distancing gave Ross
County fans in the East Stand the look of spectators who had turned up for a County cricket match.
Tannoy announcements reminded them of the need to stay apart – although polite applause was as near as it got to rowdy.
An early goal for Celtic quietened the Ross County fans but they warmed to their task as the game went on providing the sort of genuine response that canned crowd noise can’t replicate.
Last night the club thanked fans, saying: “We would like to say a massive thank you to the 300 supporters who were selected to attend today’s test event – you conducted yourself perfectly today and showed a lot of patience and understanding.”