BOOSTER JAGS
McCall urges Holyrood to show all clubs matter by allowing fans back for lower-league weekend
bring forward their winter break by a week, in the hope that crowds would be restored on the league’s resumption, and they rescheduled New Year clashes including the Old Firm, Edinburgh and Dundee derbies.
Those are set to go ahead next month in front of full houses, whereas lower-league clubs have continued to play throughout the restrictions.
Now Jags boss McCall insists it’s common sense that fans of Championship, League One and League Two outfits should be allowed back this weekend to help ease the strain on their clubs’ finances.
He said: ‘I’d like to think that decisions are made for the whole of Scottish football and not just for one game at Celtic Park on February 2 (when Celtic host Rangers).
‘I’d love to see a full house at Celtic Park on February 2 and at Hibs versus Hearts. It’s not about that.
‘But I think every (division) should have shut down. I can see why they (the Premiership) did it and we move on. I know we are talking about an awful lot of money at the bigger clubs but it’s all relative to the club you are at.
‘You’re not telling me that the money Clyde make from their gate isn’t as relevant to them as 60,000 fans at Parkhead is to Celtic.
‘We’ve been hit (by the pandemic). We were demoted from the Championship when we shouldn’t have been. We then got £150,000 from the government (for being in League One during the pandemic) when part-time teams (in the Championship) got £500,000.
‘But there’s no point saying we were worst hit, because everyone in the lower leagues has been hit bad.
‘What would solve it is if the government softened the blow, allowed a crowd at Firhill on Friday night — with all Covid testings stringently done — and also allowed crowds for the Saturday games.
‘I am hopeful. It’s unlikely it will happen but it would be a bit of common sense. I’m not sure what difference three days make.
‘But what I would like to think is that they are doing everything in the best interests of everybody.’
With just five points separating the top five in the Championship, McCall believes tomorrow night’s clash between two title rivals would attract a healthy crowd — even at short notice and with the game being shown live on BBC Scotland.
He said: ‘At this late stage, Kilmarnock would still be able to bring 2,000 with them and the crowd would be over 5,000. If the game was not live on the BBC, we maybe could have put it back to Monday and had a bigger crowd in. I know Ayr United and Kilmarnock did that for their match recently.
‘I know it’s a hard job the government have, but it would be great if we had a crowd on Friday night.
‘We’ve just got to wait and see what the guys at the top of the tree say.’
Kilmarnock, who face having no fans at tomorrow’s match if restrictions remain until Monday, immediately got behind Thistle’s call to end them three days early. ‘We fully support Partick’s request to get more fans inside the ground,’ said manager Derek McInnes. ‘We would like our supporters to be included. ‘We are obviously still respectful of the (pandemic). But if there is a way that Partick can be successful then we would support that to try and get as many in the ground as possible. ‘It is two well-supported clubs. It’s a good game in the context of our Championship and, even though it’s live on TV, there would still be a significant crowd. ‘If there is a way we can find to get more fans in, then great, but if not (at least) it’s the last weekend we are going to be restricted and we can then move forward.’ Meanwhile, the Scottish Football Supporters Association have reiterated their call to the Scottish Government to bring forward an end to crowd restrictions for all lower-league clubs.
They fail to see what difference bringing the ending of restrictions forward by a few days would make to public health.
And they say that Holyrood would save on making compensation payments to clubs for lack of takings if they open up the turnstiles earlier than planned.
In a statement, the group said: ‘This move would allow Scottish clubs to play in front of normal crowds this weekend for the benefit of communities the length and breadth of the country. With no additional risk to public health and savings to the public purse.
‘On Saturday, an early increase in crowds would bring normality back to Ayr, Dunfermline, Inverness, Kirkcaldy, Airdrie, Dumbarton and many more heartland Scottish communities.
‘None of the crowds at this level of football will be large and all will happily follow the protocols set out.
‘The SFSA are aware that nothing is simple and there is always risk with Covid but, from the discussions we are aware of, there seems to be no scientific reason or justification favouring Monday, January 17 over Friday, January 14.
‘We are also aware that there are Scottish Government plans to compensate clubs for commercial hits this weekend should any reopening not happen, but this money can be saved for more important needs if the date is shifted.’