Dons ask for help to get fans back for Christmas

Aberdeen have asked the Scottish Government to approve plans to get supporters back into Pittodrie ahead of the festive period.

The Granite City is in level two of the Scottish Government’s coronavirus restrictions, which means games must be played behind closed doors.

But the Dons are hoping to have 1,000 fans inside their ground for the visit of Ross County on December 12 and just over 2,000 fans at the Boxing Day game against St Johnstone and at the Dundee United game on January 2.

The club have got backing from Professor Gary Macfarlane, the chair in epidemiology at Aberdeen University.

He said: “It is my view that the highly-regulated, outdoor environment at Pittodrie, tested with just over 2,000 fans socially distanced at two metres, would ensure that the risk to individuals is extremely low.”

Pittodrie hosted a test e vent for 300 fans in September but plans to build on that were shelved after the second wave of the pandemic hit Scotland.

Ross County and Inverness have hosted fans in recent games as the Highlands is in level one of the restrictions.

Meanwhile, Aberdeen’s selection woes have intensified after striker Scott Wright was ruled out for the rest of the year.

Wright’s trip to see a specialist in Manchester resulted in a double hernia diagnosis.

The 23-year-old former Dundee loan player had missed the previous two games after experiencing groin pain and the Dons will be without nine players for their Betfred Cup clash against St Mirren today with the suspended Shay Logan joining the absentee list.

The self-isolating Ross McCrorie, Lewis Ferguson and Connor McLennan will also miss Aberdeen’s third away game inside a week along with the injured Jo n n y Ha y e s , Ma r l e y Watkins, Dylan McGeouch and Tomas Cerny.