Saints chief urges players to ‘wake up’

St Johnstone chairman Steve Brown urged players to “wake up and smell the coffee” after Aberdeen’s visit to Perth was postponed after eight Dons players were told to self-isolate.

The decision to call off the game at Mcdiarmid Park followed Scottish government intervention on Friday.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that the decision by the players to visit a bar in Aberdeen, which saw two of them catch Covid-19, was “completely unacceptable”.

She warned Scottish football that its permission to play would be risked if there was a repeat of the situation.

Brown did not want to directly criticise the culpable Pittodrie players but issued a general plea to follow the rules.

“We can’t control players when they leave the football club. So we are hoping that players will take responsibility for their own actions,” Brown, pictured, said.

“There is an element of players, unfortunately, at every club so I am not going to have a pop at Aberdeen, it could happen to any of us.

“I just hope and pray that the players will take it on board and wake up and smell the coffee, that we are in a pandemic, and you have got to act accordingly. “You have been given special dispensation from the Scottish government, you have got to respect that and let’s not throw it away.” The St Johnstone v Aberdden fixture has been rearranged for Thursday 20 August and will be shown live on Sky. It means Aberdeen’s home match against Livingston scheduled for Saturday 22 August will now be played on the Sunday.