Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
CLUBS MAKE RETURN BID
Testing pledge in ‘route to Playing Again’
Scottish League One and Two clubs have rallied together to form a proposal to resume their season after it was suspended.
The clubs – including Airdrieonians and Albion Rovers – have written to SFA chief Ian Maxwell about restarting the season in March after all football below the Championship was suspended for three weeks.
Remarkably, it’s understood it’s a realistic possibility that all 20 clubs will support this proposal and commit to testing their players to similar protocols implemented in the Premiership.
If the SFA approve the proposal then clubs would recommence training on Monday, February 15 as players would be required to regain full fitness.
The League One and Two season would restart in the first week in March and it would be extended until the end of May.
There are complications over extending the season into June due to contractual and registration issues.
There is more than half of the league season remaining with League One clubs currently having, at the most, 16 games to play while some League Two clubs have 17 games remaining.
However, it’s understood that some Lowland League clubs are concerned that League Two’s return could severely damage the credibility of the pyramid structure.
Lowland sides including Cumbernauld Colts have received a fraction of the government grant money – believed to be in the region of £33,000 – while clubs in League one received £100,000 plus an earlier donation from James Anderson.
It is unlikely that Lowland League clubs could afford to test and if League Two goes ahead, there would be realistic prospect of no promotion or relegation for a second consecutive year. A press release was issued on behalf of all 20 SPFL clubs in League One and Two labelled as “A Route to Playing Again.”
It read: “We are all aware of the ongoing impact of the pandemic on everyone’s lives. We take our responsibilities to our staff and players seriously and that’s why we have complied with all that has been asked of us to date.
“However, we have used the pause in playing to look at what more we can do to create a route to us playing again in a way that reassures the football authorities and the Scottish Government.
“We know that football can
bea force for good and that our games allow our fans to have one familiar activity available to them ata difficult time.
“But we also recognise that we need to do more ifwe want to restart and this proposal lays out what that might look like including the introduction of PCR testing.
“We understand the difficult position the Scottish fa found itself in when it suspended our leagues.
“Butthere will haveto bea decision madeabout whenwe restart.so we wanted to support and assist in the decision-making process.
“This document shows that, in coming together with purpose, 20 clubs are committe commond to this process and hope that the SFA will treat this proposal with the consideration it deserves.”
Airdrie and Rovers would return to action by the start of March if the proposal is accepted by the SFA, SPFL and the Scottish Government. An update is expected this week.