Teams stay in limbo until March
West Lothian’s lower league, Junior and women’s football teams will have to wait a while longer to get back in action after the Scottish FA announced the current hiatus will continue until March 1 at the earliest.
As it stands, only the men’s Premiership and Championship leagues are being played with all other football cancelled.
West Lothian has three teams currently playing in the sixth tier East of Scotland Premier Division while none of the region’s nine Junior clubs had played more than three games this season before the suspension.
The women’s 2021 season would have just been getting underway but there’s no date for when Livingston, Blackburn United and Murieston United will get their campaign up and running.
An SFA statement on Tuesday read:“In recent weeks, the Scottish FA has engaged extensively with clubs and leagues affected by the suspension of professional football across the men’s and women’s game to discuss tailored return to playing plans for implementation when it is considered safe and appropriate to resume.
“We have also remained in regular dialogue with Scottish Government to ensure their input into and ultimately approval of those proposed plans.
“Regrettably, the government has today confirmed that - in cognisance of the current restrictions in place across the country - they cannot currently commit to return dates for those affected leagues in the coming weeks.
“We will continue to speak with all parties in the meantime and will provide a further update by 1 March.”
Livingston’s Jenna Fife has been named in the Scotland squad for their upcoming Euro 2022 qualifiers against Cyprus and Portugal.
The 25-year-old Rangers keeper, who started her career at local club Murieston United, is one of three goalkeepers selected by interim coach Stuart McLaren for the double-header.
Due to Covid protocols and travel restrictions, both games will be played in Cyprus with the Scots taking on the hosts on Friday, February 19 before tackling Portugal four days later.
Fife, who has five caps to her name, is expected to be second choice keeper behind Glasgow City’s Lee Alexander while her Rangers team-mate Megan Cunningham has also been called-up.
The Scots are in a transitional period just now having failed to qualify for Euro 2022 while Polbeth native Shelley Kerr stood down as coach in December.