Scottish Government Reject Pittodrie Fans Return
The Scottish Government has rejected Aberdeen’s proposal for the return of fans to our next three home games.
Aberdeen had put forward proposals for the return of fans to our upcoming games against Ross County, St Johnstone and Dundee Utd. With 1,000 fans returning initially for the Ross County match, followed by 2,000 for the St Johnstone and Dundee Utd matches.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We understand the importance of fans returning to stadiums but any restrictions must be taken in the context of the restrictions in place to control coronavirus (COVID-19). Fans, in limited numbers, can attend stadiums in areas under Level 1 and the best way to get fans back is to reduce the prevalence of the virus.
“As the First Minister confirmed to parliament, we will continue to engage with sporting bodies whose revenue is being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope to bring our support package to fruition in the near future.”
Earlier this week, the Scottish Government were considering moving the City and Shire into Tier 3 after a rise in cases.
Nicola Sturgeon said that the areas would stay in Tier 2 for now, but the Government would “look carefully” at the data over the next few days.
Public health officials had recommended Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire should move up to level three, although council leaders had lobbied for them to remain in level two due to the risk of “economic harm” .
Cases have increased sharply in the last week, rising by 68% in Aberdeen and 42% in Aberdeenshire.
The First Minister commented: “There is a need to understand more deeply the extent to which these increases are driven by specific outbreaks that are being actively managed, within for example food processing and care settings, versus a wider and more general rise in community transmission, which would obviously be a concern – especially as we go further into winter.”
Aberdeen staged a successful test event at our match against Kilmarnock at the start of September with 300 fans in attendance.
