FAILING THE TEST
SCOTTISH football has been rocked by the actions of the Aberdeen 8.
But Premiership bosses insist clubs are doing all they can to avoid a repeat.
Hibs boss Jack Ross said: “I don’t think anyone in Scottish football ever believed we were immune to this. There is no complacency or belief from my players that they are any different from the general public.
“We have had to adhere to a lot of guidelines and a lot of procedures – more than the majority of other industries.
“Football has not been complacent or disrespectful towards the guidelines, far from it.
“Any manager that says they know exactly what every player does every minute of the day is not telling the truth.
“You try and educate and guide but that’s all you can do then hope they take that information on board. I believe there’s a group in there that does that.”
Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson said: “We’re doing everything in our power.
“We are testing two and three times a week, following every protocol and I think it should be applauded.
“The hard bit is away from the grounds. That’s where feel there’s a problem. There’s plenty of people with the virus but asymptomatic walking about and boys are going to come into contact with them. Their families will.
“It’s difficult to control and all we can do is be on top of it.
“If we do identify someone, we take them out and Aberdeen have done that.
“We’ve spoken to the players and reiterate it on a daily basis.”
Kilmarnock chief Alex Dyer revealed: “I had a quick meeting with them before we trained. I explained the dos and don’ts and they understand.
“We know we have responsibilities and
know what’s at the end of it if we don’t do things right.
“We get tested twice a week now, so it doesn’t make sense if you are going to a bar.
“Hopefully, it’s a one-off, we will all learn and move on.
“Our boys can still go out with their wives, girlfriends, family and have a good time and a meal and chill out.
“But you have to be sensible.”
Steve Brown, chairman of St Johnstone, said: “Obviously it is very disappointing but it could have happened to any club.
“There’s a very strict regime here, the same as every Premiership club with the testing and protocols we have to follow.
“That’s where the frustration gets in – because we do all that but we can’t control players when they leave the football club.
“I just hope and pray the players take it on board and wake up and smell the coffee that we are in a pandemic and you have to act accordingly.
“We have been given special dispensation from the Scottish government. We’ve got to respect that and let’s not throw it away.”
Tony Asghar, sporting director at Dundee United, reckons fans have to play their part.
He said: “Over the past few weeks, there have been attempts made to approach players to sign shirts and take selfies. This is not acceptable and could seriously jeopardise the health of the players and also impact on our competitive matches.
“Our players and staff are well aware of the ramifications of this virus but they also find it difficult to turn down an advance of a fan as it’s human nature. The time will come for selfies and shirt signing if we continue working within the guidelines.”