Lower leagues given green light to return

The Scottish Football Association has welcomed confirmation that the Scottish Women’s Premier League One and SPFL Leagues One and Two can return to action immediately.

All but the top two tiers of the men’s game were suspended in January due to increasing coronavirus concerns.

The impacted leagues were SPFL Leagues One and Two, Scottish Women’s Football Premier Leagues One and Two, the Highland League, Lowland League, East, West and South of Scotland Leagues, Scottish Junior FA Leagues and the North Caledonian League.

The Scottish Premiership was exempt from the suspension, provided it continued to adhere to the stringent testing protocols, and the Championship was also able to continue as long as it commenced weekly PCR testing.

Speaking at her briefing yesterday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The public health minister will support the resumption of competitive football in Scottish Leagues One and Two, the Scottish Women’s Premier League One and – for the purposes of playing Scottish Cup ties – certain Highland League teams.”

In a statement released by the SFA, president Rod Petrie said: “The decision to temporarily suspend parts of the professional game played by predominantly part-time teams was not an easy one to take.”