Hosted by Supporters Direct Scotland
Date: 28th December 2020
A Scottish Championship game on Boxing Day has managed to hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
As Queen of the South succumbed to a 3-1 home loss to Dundee it soon became known that controversial politician George Galloway was in attendance at Palmerston Park alongside his family.
Now on any other Boxing Day those extra spectators wouldn’t create a national news story but as we are all aware 2020 hasn’t been a conventional year at all.
For the whole of this current campaign fans have been banned from entering most Scottish stadia because of Covid-19 restrictions. Queen of the South were hoping that on Boxing Day that they’d welcome supporters back into their ground as the area of Dumfries and Galloway was in Tier 1 and were under less restrictions. But unfortunately a new variant of the virus was discovered and the Scottish government moved the whole of mainland Scotland into Tier 4 and into virtual lockdown. That dashed any teams hopes of having fans in the stands for the remaining games of 2020.
Yet for some reason George Galloway and his family were still allowed to enter Palmerston Park. His own reasoning seems to be that he bought his way into the ground by buying five season tickets and discussing the possibility of sponsoring the club.
Euan: I am also a season ticket holder. As is my wife. As are my 3 sons. I’m about to be a sponsor of the club. Cut this out please. You’re embarrassing the club.
— George Galloway (@georgegalloway) December 27, 2020
Not only is this excuse not acceptable to most supporters of The Doonhamers, I am pretty sure it doesn’t follow the strict laws regarding the extremely tight numbers that can currently attend Scottish football matches. The SFA and SPFL will surely have to now investigate and see if Queen of the South have in fact breached those protocols.
It is stunning that in a year when football clubs should now realise survival is only an option for most with the backing of the community as well as the fans, that one club would be stupid enough to let the prospect of cash from one family put them into the limelight in such a negative way and show their own support that they aren’t appreciated!
The Dumfries and Galloway club made a pretty pathetic statement last night, which basically apologised to fans if they were upset that a public figure seemed more important to the club’s board than any loyal supporter. They clearly worked out that that statement wasn’t going to cut the mustard and followed it up with a slightly more detailed one today. In the new statement they seem to suggest that protocols weren’t in fact met, which is a disgrace in my opinion and should be followed up with a punishment from the relevant authorities.
I cannot understand why the Queen of the South’s board would not see through Galloway’s PR stunt, he has clearly used them a political pawn.
Through Sturgeon’s ring of steel. I’m home. For good. @Alliance4Unity pic.twitter.com/WbL6bm399H
— George Galloway (@georgegalloway) December 21, 2020
When the majority of Scotland are stuck in their homes as only essential travel is permitted, George Galloway has boasted of traveling across the border and has now had the privilege of attending a football game. All in an attempt to undermine the Scottish government!
The Queen of the South hierarchy have let their supporters down in all this and that, for me, is the biggest scandal. They have no valid excuse and they have a massive job to get back any goodwill that they may have had from those that continually paid to support their club.
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