Scottish FA suspends football for all levels beneath the Championship

The board of the Scottish FA has suspended professional football beneath the level of the SPFL Championship for three weeks due to the escalating Covid situation.

Speaking to MFR News on behalf of League 2 Elgin City manager Gavin Price, said: "Everybody at that level is mainly part-time, so I can understand having to take these actions as players have other jobs.

"It goes without saying that the financial pressure on clubs is immense just now, without fans, hospitality, and many other things that go with football. I'd imagine that clubs will be able to use the furlough now.

"It is what it is, and it's unfortunate that just like the last time we've been going well, and it's the same this time. If we do get back February we just have to re-group and make sure we're as best prepared as possible"

The Premiership will be exempt from the suspension, provided that it continues to adhere to the stringent testing protocols, and the Championship will also be able to continue provided it commences weekly PCR testing.

The Scottish Cup will also be suspended, with any matches scheduled to be played prior to February 1st to be rescheduled in due course.

Rod Petrie, Scottish FA president, said: "The Scottish FA is well aware of the efforts all clubs take to comply with the exacting protocols that were conditional on elite football being given an exemption to continue amid the pandemic.

"Nonetheless the continuation of football at all levels has weighed increasingly heavy on me as president, my colleagues on the board and the Joint Response Group as we have watched the new strain of the virus spread rapidly.

"While the national sport has been afforded the privilege of elite sporting exemption, the risk of mass transportation of untested, largely part-time players is something that cannot be sustained as the cases continue to rise and available hospital beds become increasingly scarce.

The impacted leagues are: League 1, League 2, Scottish Women's Football Premier Leagues 1 and 2, the Highland League, Lowland League, the East, West and South of Scotland Leagues, Scottish Junior FA Leagues and the North Caledonian League.

Neil Doncaster, chief executive of the SPFL, said: "We have been in very regular contact with our colleagues at the SFA in light of the latest worrying developments regarding the spread of Covid.

"The SPFL board met this morning and fully supports the Scottish FA's proportionate and appropriate response to the worsening situation across the country.

"It is a sensible and necessary step which balances the need for the game to continue to play its part in limiting the spread of the virus whilst also ensuring that the top two divisions, which provide the overwhelming bulk of the income which supports the wider game, are able to be maintained for the good of the entire sport"