It Will Be A Great Start To League Season With Fans Back In The Stands!

Date: 14th July 2021

It was announced yesterday by Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon that our country will be heading into level 0 of restrictions on the 19th of July. 

That will mean from that date, seated grounds in Scotland can accept 2,000 punters without any questions asked (up from 500) and stadia with standing terraces allowing 1000 fans back into the stands.  

Now as always people will want and ask for more. I get and understand that feeling but we shouldn’t forget that for the vast majority of last season we watched games from home as stadiums doors were shut off to supporters as we continued to fight in our attempts to keep infections down and save our NHS from becoming overwhelmed! 

This is still progress and hopefully we’ll continue to see hospital admissions remain on the low side and we can go back to even more normality on the 9th of August. 

I also urge football clubs, our league authorities and the Scottish government to come together during these next few weeks and trial bigger crowds throughout the early stages of the league campaign. If stadiums within Scotland can safely handle more than the 2,000 number and the clubs can prove they can do this, then I’d like Ms Sturgeon and her government colleagues to allow bigger capacities on a game to game basis, which has already been suggested. 

Aberdeen have stated they’d like to see around 8,000 fans in for the start of their Premiership campaign, while the BBC have reported that Celtic wish to bring 18,000 fans back for their Champions League qualifier which takes place next week.

It will look very political if the politicians don’t allow bigger gates in certain incidents given they allowed around 15,000 to attend the Hampden games during UEFA’s Euro 2020 tournament this summer. 

We all have to come together and make full capacities a realistic reality this term. 

Saying that, football fans need to follow all the rules. The scenes in Glasgow after Rangers won the Scottish Premiership, the antics outside Celtic Park as fans protested during lockdown and the pitch-side rammy at the game between St Roch’s and Kilburnie Ladeside will have done nothing to improve the thoughts of politicians regarding the behaviour of football fans. 

So if you’re lucky enough to start the league season within the stadium; then please enjoy yourself, stay safe and behave. That way more and more of us can return to the terraces and watch our beloved teams! 

By Scott Johnston (@TheFootyblognet)

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