Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon restricts football crowds to 500 maximum with social distancing as part of new Covid protocol
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
SCOTTISH football will return to restricted attendances and social distancing for a three-week period from Boxing Day.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today announced new Covid measures affecting sport in an effort to slow the spread of the Omicron variant.
Outdoor sporting events including football matches will be limited to 500 spectators who will be kept one metre apart.
The effect of the measures will impact more on Scottish top flight matches such as the Celtic v Rangers match in Glasgow on January 2.
Extra precautions will be put in place at Elgin City matches in League Two and Highland League football grounds, with fixtures scheduled for December 27 and January 3.
Elgin's last match at their Borough Briggs home on Saturday drew an attendance of 518 and the club's average attendance exceeds 600, so limitations will apply for their next home game against Forfar on January 2.
All SPFL clubs must also test their players on a daily basis into the new year.
Premiership matches scheduled for tomorrow night will be played in front of full crowds.
Ms Sturgeon said in her address to the nation: "For a period of three weeks, we intend to place limits on the size of live public events that can take place.
"For indoor standing events the limit will be 100; for indoor seated events it will be 200; and for outdoor events 500 seated or standing.
"Physical distancing of one metre will be required at events that go ahead within these limits.
"This will of course make sports matches, including football, effectively spectator-free over this three week period. A situation similar to that in Wales from Boxing Day.
"I want to underline why we think this difficult decision is necessary.
"Firstly, we know that the much higher transmissibility of Omicron means large gatherings have the potential to become very rapid super-spreader events, putting large numbers at risk of getting infected very quickly. Limiting these events helps reduce the risk of widespread transmission.
"It also cuts down the transmission risks associated with travel to and from such events
"And second, and this is not an insignificant point, these large events put an additional burden on emergency services, especially the police and ambulance services.
"At a time when these services are already under severe pressure and also dealing with high staff absences, limiting large scale events will help them focus on delivering essential services to the public.
"So I would ask the public - despite the disappointment I know this decision will generate - to please understand the reasons for it.
"We intend to issue guidance to the effect that non-professional indoor contact sports for adults should not take place during the three week period from 26 December. This is because these activities, where physical distancing is not possible, also create a heightened risk of transmission.
"Finally - from 27 December, again for up to three weeks - we intend to introduce some further protections in hospitality settings and other indoor public places to reduce transmission risk in what are, through no fault of those who run such venues, higher risk environments."
