It was always going to be a matter of time before the SPFL decided to come together and call off the league. The Scottish FA has suspended all domestic and grassroots football until further notice. With the Old Firm derby just around the corner, it is undoubtedly a setback for the board and the fans as that fixture undoubtedly bring the most attention from the world towards the Scottish game.
Scottish League Suspended With Coronavirus Outbreak, What Now For Clubs?
With high profile players and managers also now contracting the virus, a move like this was always going to be on the cards. However, none of the Scottish League players are yet to contract the virus (yes famous last words). The situation in Scotland is not yet alarming, but prevention is always better than cure, and there is no doubt that this is the right way to go.
The positives so far
The virus is known to be highly contagious, and that is why we see the jump in cases. However, there are not many reasons to panic, as the mortality rate is said to be around 3.4% (The Times). Which means 97 percent of the time, even after contracting the virus, one would survive.
There have been positive signs in China as isolation and containment has stopped the spread in disease. The daily rate of new Covid-19 infections in China is now the lowest in the world in percentage terms (The Star). So one can say that isolating seems to be really working in stopping the spread.
What now for clubs in Scotland?
However, it is not yet clear when things would be back to normal, and everyone is in unchartered territory, from governments to medical officials and the football boards.
One solution could be to carry on the games in empty stadiums after the suspension is lifted. But imagine an Old Firm derby without a soul to witness it. Moreover, most clubs rely heavily on match day revenues to sustain itself. Hence, having no fans at the game could have a substantial financial impact, especially for clubs outside of the two Glaswegian giants Celtic and Rangers. The lower clubs could be the worst hit.
Even the English Championship has some reserves (The Athletic) as rainy day funds. However, the Scottish Professional Football League doesn’t have such an option. Hence, empty stadiums games might not be the right solution for many of the clubs around.
Right now, everyone is going to follow the wait and watch approach. Cancelling out the season completely doesn’t seem to be anywhere near happening at the moment. Rangers fans would undoubtedly want otherwise after their dismal run in domestic games after the break. The league could push to accomodate all fixtures, but UEFA might shelve the 2020 Euro to 2021 (Sky Sports) to ease some burden off the various football associations. That seems like a logical solution, but nobody yet knows whether the situation would improve even after a few weeks.
