The First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, has sent out a message that could put additional worry into Celtic fans’ minds.
With the suspension of football caused by the novel coronavirus, many fans have been left wondering how, or when the season will end. Perhaps more pressing in Celtic fans’ minds is when they will get to watch their beloved club once again from inside the confines of Paradise.
There has been talk of playing out the season without fans, but that talk has largely been put to rest. Therefore, football fans have turned their sights to the 2020/21 season in which they remain hopeful they will get to see football live, in person.
A new message by Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon may have shed some light on that possibility. However, the message was not hopeful that fans in seats during football matches was in the cards any time soon.
Peter Smith, a journalist from ITV News, has tweeted out a quote from Sturgeon stating as much:
Nicola Sturgeon saying sports fans should not expect to be back to stadiums any time soon - certainly difficult until there’s a vaccine. Her CMO also against televised sports events resuming behind ‘closed doors’ - he warns it could encourage people to gather in groups to watch.
— Peter A Smith (@PeterAdamSmith) April 20, 2020
While the exact timeline for a vaccine for COVID-19 is unknown, many estimates have it in the range of months, not weeks. It is conceivable that this ban on fans from watching clubs live in the stadium could extend to next season. Again, timelines are unclear.
The hope is that everyone can continue to practice good social distancing guidelines, and remain healthy and safe. In the grand scheme of things, football will always come second to these needs. Nicola Sturgeon has made sure that remains the case going forward.