A massive headache is what awaits sport

It is not often that a global pandemic has a bearing on what I say in this column, but what you’re reading now is my fifth attempt at putting together this week’s offering.

Initially I had focused on Steve Clarke announcing his squad for the Euro 2020 playoffs and my hope that Leigh Griffiths might finally make his mark in a sustained way at international level; I wrote about the form of Scott McTominay; the problems the manager was juggling with regarding his central defence and my dream that Andrew Considine might finally get long overdue international recognition.

That had to be stripped back somewhat as coronavirus took more of a grip, and further rewritten when the English football authorities imposed their immediate suspension.

Given that none of our clubs or players had been affected in the way they had been down south, I had anticipated that the Scottish FA and SPFL might wait until the start of the week before following suit.

But, as the European club competitions were put into abeyance and more cases emerged down south, prompting the EPL to act, it become even clearer that Scottish football would have to do likewise.

And then late morning yesterday came the Joint Response Group update which announced an indefinite total shutdown. I would anticipate that holding until at least the start of next month, but it is such a fastmoving situation that it is difficult to accurately predict anything right now. That said, when Uefa convene on Tuesday morning along with the 55 member associations, the various league representatives, the top clubs and FIFPro, there can surely only be one decision they reach.

Euro 2020 is going to have to be postponed for 12 months.

Even had the event been due to be staged in a single country it would have been hard to imagine it going ahead, but given the planned format this summer, and the worldwide crisis we are facing up to, there is no way the Finals can take place.

It is a massive headache for the football authorities across the continent but delaying the tournament will at least allow breathing space for the domestic leagues throughout Europe to eventually finish off their seasons.

When that happens is the big question, but if, as I expect, Uefa announce

Euro 2021, there will be the required slack in the football calendar in the early part of the summer when the country should be better placed to deal with Covid-19.

There is no chance of the season being declared null and void, no chance of the present league placings being deemed final, and I hope the prospect of the campaign being completed behind closed doors will also be firmly rejected.

It is an unprecedented situation, but I believe the SFA and the league have acted responsibly and swiftly, and have taken the correct step. They will be led by the government and the science, and should be in no hurry to resume matches until everything has become clearer.

Many football issues will have to be resolved, many questions answered.

But for now the most important thing is ensuring the health of the nation.

The game can wait.

Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths was making his mark