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BREAKING: SPFL chief Neil Doncaster warns coronavirus outbreak could threaten entire league season

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SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster has admitted that a coronavirus outbreak at a SINGLE top flight club could make completing the season very difficult.

While the joint SPFL and SFA committee set up to monitor the crisis has concluded there is currently NO rationale to close or cancel sporting events, Doncaster outlined how serious the knock-on effect could be.

He said: “We are taking a pragmatic approach to the current situation and have alerted our members to the fact that, if the outbreak affects the first team of even one SPFL club, it could make completing the SPFL season very difficult, so first team players and staff should be extremely vigilant.

“Whilst the current, clear advice is that matches should proceed as scheduled, we will obviously prepare for contingencies where matches might have to be played behind closed doors, or even be cancelled, as we have already seen with other major sporting events.

“With that in mind, we have alerted the Scottish Government to the dire financial consequences facing clubs if the current situation changes and clubs are unable to generate revenue from ticket sales.”

Scottish football’s Joint Response Group was updating its members on the latest Government advice for the sports sector.

Following discussions with the Scottish Government, which is liaising with the UK Government, the Group has underlined that the most up-to-date advice for sports organisations – issued by the

Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport - it confirmed there is presently no rationale to close or cancel sporting events.

With this in mind, and considering the limitations of the fixture calendar, the view of the Joint Response Group is that the SPFL and Scottish FA should endeavour to complete the season and fulfil their obligations under their broadcasting agreements.

The Group has also underlined official Government guidance which urges an increased focus on hygiene best practice to combat the spread of the virus.

Ian Maxwell, Scottish FA Chief Executive, said: “Together with our colleagues at the SPFL, we have written to our members to underline that we will do everything possible to complete fixtures, whilst taking fully on board the Government’s expert advice and the guidance of our Medical Consultant, Dr John MacLean.

“We have also advised our clubs of the absolute necessity of following hygiene best practice at stadiums, training grounds and other premises, as well as providing information to staff, fans, contractors, broadcasters and other media entering club premises.”

SPFL Chief Executive Neil Doncaster said: “We are taking a pragmatic approach to the current situation and have alerted our members to the fact that, if the outbreak affects the first team of even one SPFL club, it could make completing the SPFL season very difficult, so first team players and staff should be extremely vigilant.

“Whilst the current, clear advice is that matches should proceed as scheduled, we will obviously prepare for contingencies where matches might have to be played behind closed doors, or even be cancelled, as we have already seen with other major sporting events.

“With that in mind, we have alerted the Scottish Government to the dire financial consequences facing clubs if the current situation changes and clubs are unable to generate revenue from ticket sales.”

The UK Government’s sports-specific guidance (which is reflected in the Scottish Government’s approach) includes:

Sporting events in themselves are not seen by the medical authorities as a major contributory factor in the spread of the virus.

In their view, the evidence so far suggests that the main locations where transmission within the general population is most likely are the home, schools and the workplace, with open air sports events less likely to be a problem than, for example, shopping centres, pubs and restaurants.

Matches themselves are not the only risk factor generated by sport: fans going to and from matches, congregating in pubs and being over-crowded on public transport pose potentially significant risks and the Government is not ruling out control measures to limit the impact of sports events on the efforts to manage this outbreak.

Government guidance to sport, as to everybody else, will change as and when circumstances change
 

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