TESTING TIMES

Lower-league clubs facing huge coronavirus bills to play Betfred clashes against top-flight outfits

SCOTLAND’S most cashstrapped clubs look set to be hit with huge coronavirus testing bills to allow them to compete against top-flight teams in next month’s Betfred Cup relaunch.

Record Sport understands the SPFL board will meet on Friday to discuss drafting emergency measures for the competition that kicks off on October 6 with 48 first-round ties to be packed into a hectic eight-day schedule.

Last night Scottish football’s

top flight was reeling again after three Hamilton employees tested positive for Covid-19, forcing them to shut down for a deep clean.

And Annan had to pull the plug on a pre-season friendly against Queen of the South after four firstteam players were diagnosed – sparking a scrambled emergency meeting of football’s Joint Response Group.

Now all lower-league clubs drawn against Premiership opposition could be ordered to stump up for the same expensive testing protocol that has been costing the top 12 a fortune since their return to training in the summer.

There are currently no requirements in place for testing to be rolled out from the Championship down when their season begins on October 17 due to the costs involved.

But it is feared an unidentified outbreak at any of those clubs could not only put players at risk of infection but also create fixture carnage in the top flight.

A club that cannot field 13 fit players for any of the Betfred Cup ties as a result of a Covid outbreak could also face a forfeit.

A top-flight source said: “It’s a terrible shame for the lower-league clubs but there is a serious danger of cross-contamination if there are infected players coming into close contact with top-flight clubs.

“The potential ramifications if entire Premiership squads had to be shut down for two weeks at a time are really not worth thinking about. For that reason, we are hoping the SPFL board will take the necessary action when they meet on Friday.

“Yes, it’s going to be expensive but the cost should be more than covered by the money these clubs receive for taking part in the Betfred Cup. The feeling is there is really no other way around it.”

The Premiership has been hit by two outbreaks in the last few days with positive tests at St Mirren and Hamilton, where three staff members were yesterday ordered to selfisolate ahead of Saturday’s trip to Kilmarnock.

Our source said: “When you consider how rigorous the testing regime has been across the top flight, it makes no sense for these players to then be forced into an environment that no one can say is safe or not.

“These past few days have shown how difficult it is even for top-flight clubs to keep the virus at bay.

“Two or three positives at a time is bad enough even if relatively easy to contain. But if a whole squad was forced to selfisolate then the situation could become critical in more ways than one.”

Annan are awaiting the go-ahead for training to go ahead tonight – minus the four players who are self-isolating.

But there is a fear their entire squad will be placed in quarantine.

The Galabankies’ next pre-season friendly is against Dalbeattie Star on September 26 – just 10 days before their season opener against Hamilton.