JUST LET US PLAY

Cameron says any type of competitive football will do for Ayr

Lachlan Cameron says Ayr United are open to “any competition made available” as he urged Scottish football to get going again.

Championship chiefs held marathon three hour talks on Monday to discuss options on the way out of the coronavirus crisis.

An 18- game campaign with a start date towards the end of the year is among the ideas being mulled over.

But Cameron, who insists Ayr just want back on the pitch, says they will take whatever model is offered to get the ball rolling.

The chairman ( right) told the Post: “We’re like most other clubs, we just want to play football again.

“I think the willingness among everyone is the same, it’s just how we go about it.

“Ultimately it won’t be us who decide when football returns, we can only give our views.

“But I don’t really subscribe to the idea that we should be a long way behind the Premiership in coming back.

“If football can be played again, then let’s get it played again.

“As for how that looks, we’re certainly open to any competition that’s made available to us.”

But he cautioned: “The obvious problem we need to work out is financial support and we’re going to need outside help of some sort.

“If games are behind closed doors, it just doesn’t work at this level.

“St reaming our games isn’t the answer.

“Sure, we have the capability to do it.

But the market doesn’t exist. “The revenue wouldn’t come anywhere close to covering our weekly wage bill.

“So when it comes to the point where we all commit to restarting, we need to know clubs will be financially supported.

“As directors it would be a dereliction of our duty if we did otherwise.” And Cameron, who says Ayr will offer partial refunds for games unused on last year’s season tickets, is adamant that reopening stadia has to happen sooner rather than later.

He said: “I’m probably more cavalier in my approach.

“But here in the States, the country has been opening back up for the last month.

“I’m seeing things get back to normal and I’m maybe a lot more optimistic in my outlook because of that.

“But we can’t keep people hidden indoors forever and sooner or later we need to get the world functioning normally again.”