Scotland: Fans in the Stands Come September?
The Full Scottish with Brian P. Dunleavy
If all goes according to plan—and, face it, what has gone according to plan since the start of 2020?—supporters could be allowed into grounds in Scotland, on a limited basis, by mid-September.
That’s the latest word from the Scottish government and the honchoes at the SPFL anyway, although Celtic are reportedly pushing to have a few thousand fans in the stands for their next home league match, against Motherwell, as a sort of test run.
We’ll see.
If nothing else, the talks are a sign that the COVID-19 outbreak, at least in Scotland, if not all of Britain, is under some semblance of control. However, the news likely won’t mean much to those of us Stateside wishing to travel to Glasgow, or elsewhere, to see our clubs in person.
Here, sadly, the virus is far from under control. As a result, many of us may not be allowed to enter Scotland (or Britain or anywhere) or required to quarantine for two weeks should we choose to do so.
However, those matters are for decision-makers far more powerful—though not necessarily smarter (and we have low self-esteem).
For now, we plan to take this as a measure of good news and respond with, given the nature of good news these days, a measure of good cheer. Indeed, should things continue apace, we could be seeing Celtic Park and Ibrox—heck (family newspaper), even Easter Road and Pittodrie—packed with supporters again in the not-too-distant future.
Fingers crossed, anyway.
As great as it is to have football back—sporadically, if your squad includes globetrotters like Boli Bolingoli—it will be even better to have it back to normal, with all the noise and atmosphere bums in the seats provide.
Could Scotland be taking baby-steps toward such a return to normalcy? Seems so.
But, sadly, 2020 has pulled the chair out from underneath us before.