NICOLA SHOWS SCOTS CLUBS YELLOW CARD
TWO of Scotland’s biggest football clubs have been forced to postpone games this week after Nicola Sturgeon issued chiefs with a ‘yellow card’.
The First Minister condemned a ‘blatant’ flouting of Covid-19 restrictions by players – and warned she could be forced to suspend professional sports.
Aberdeen and Celtic have now been forced to postpone three games this week.
It came after Celtic player Boli Bolingoli went to Spain, did not quarantine on his return and played in a match against Kilmarnock. Miss Sturgeon said this was ‘flagrantly breaching the guidelines’.
It emerged last week that eight Aberdeen players had ignored restrictions by visiting a bar together – with two later found to have Covid-19.
Yesterday, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘Consider today the yellow card. The next time it will be the red card because you will leave us with absolutely no choice.’
Miss Sturgeon said: ‘This is just not acceptable. Every day I stand here and ask members of the public to make huge sacrifices on how they live their lives. The vast majority are doing that and it’s not easy. We can’t have privileged football players deciding they are not going to bother.’
‘Punitive measures’ will now be put in place to address future failings. National Clinical Director Professor Jason Leitch said: ‘If there are breaches from now, it’s going to be very, very hard for the advisers to say to the First Minister that we have confidence in the sports bubble.’
Celtic manager Neil Lennon was ‘livid’ at Bolingoli, who has apologised for his ‘error of judgment’. Celtic also apologised for his actions and tested players and staff twice, all with negative results.