CROWD PULLER
SPFL seek to make Celtic fixture a test event with fans EXCLUSIVE
THE SPFL want to use Celtic’s home league game with Motherwell on August 30 as a test event for the return of fans to grounds.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed yesterday that sports stadia in Scotland could reopen with restricted numbers from September 14. The move will be for a ‘limited number of spectators and with strict physical distancing in place’.
Scottish Rugby wants to use the Pro14 match between Edinburgh and Glasgow at Murrayfield on August 28 as a test event, with proposals in place for 700 fans to attend.
And SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster is now lobbying government officials to open the gates of Parkhead to a similar number that same weekend.
Together with the SRU, Celtic have used external consultants to conduct feasibility studies into the return of supporters to their 60,000-seater ground.
Last night, a Parkhead source told Sportsmail that the club are ready and prepared to host supporters with reduced capacity protocols as soon as the government give the go-ahead.
Last week, the First Minister put Scottish football on a yellow card after Celtic defender Boli Bolingoli followed eight Aberdeen players in breaching strict Covid-19 rules. Two Dons players tested positive for the
virus, which came amid a partial lockdown of the city. Announcing plans to reopen gyms, swimming pools and indoor sports courts from August 31, however, Sturgeon said: ‘Given the volatility of the virus, there is the very real possibility that some, or all, of these plans could change. ‘With that significant caveat, we hope that sports stadiums will be able to reopen from September 14 — but only for a limited number of spectators and with strict physical distancing in place. ‘Some professional sports events might be arranged for spectators before then, with Scottish government agreement, to test the safety of any new arrangements.’ The Premiership season started behind closed doors on August 1. The Betfred Cup is scheduled to begin on October 6, with the three lower leagues set to kick off a truncated season on October 17. SFA plans to have spectators at Hampden for Scotland’s Nations League qualifier with Israel on September 4 have been shot down by UEFA, with Europe’s governing body ruling that fixtures must be played behind closed doors. Celtic’s James Forrest believes allowing even a small number of fans back into stadia initially will make a huge difference. ‘If you ask all the players at all the teams, you want fans back in,’ said the 29-year-old. ‘We’ll all be excited even if it’s small numbers at the start. That would be a positive and a bonus. ‘Everyone wants it in football. Hopefully the next few weeks go well ahead of September. Even if it was a couple of thousand just to start at certain grounds, just that wee bit of atmosphere would be good for both sets of players and for the fans who are able to come.’ Meanwhile, the SFA-SPFL Joint Response Group have asked the Scottish government to grant lower-league clubs a cash lifeline by relaxing coronavirus testing requirements. In return for securing the green light to start the Premiership season on August 1, clubs agreed to swab test players and staff twice a week. Despite carrying out 7,500 swab tests at a cost to the national game of £600,000, just three players have tested positive. All three came from community transmission rather than football.
Concerned by the drain on the resources of cash-strapped, part-time lower-league clubs, the JRG held positive talks with the Scottish Government on the costs of testing yesterday. Sources have told Sportsmail that the current twice-a-week schedule will continue for Premiership clubs. Championship teams could also be required to maintain the current protocols in the opening weeks of the season. With a truncated lower-league season due to kick off on October 17, senior Hampden figures are cautiously hopeful of the Holyrood government allowing part-time clubs starved of gate income to cut costs by temperaturetesting players instead of swabbing.