Professor Jason Leitch has outlined how many fans could attend the Scottish Cup final this season – if the venue was moved somewhere like Celtic Park.
The Hampden showpiece will be played in front of no fans this season as the ground prepares for hosting matches at Euro 2020. Many have called for the game to be played at Celtic Park or Ibrox to accommodate a glimmer of fan hope, and with both sides of the Old Firm now out the cup after St Johnstone beat Rangers, a neutral venue opportunity has emerged.
St Johnstone’s win means both Celtic and Rangers are out. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Hoping for fans by the start of next season, National Clinical Director Leitch says somewhere like Celtic Park could host fans (BBC): “I think having 10,000 supporters in is a stretch. The final decision about where the Cup final is is nothing to do with me of course. The game is when we are in Level 2 so without seeking permission you can have 500 supporters at an outdoor, seated event.
“That means you can do that without coming to the government or the local authority without permission. But we have also said that if you want more than that and can do it safely, there will be a mechanism to do that. That’s how we have ended up with the Euros at 12,500.
“They will just have to say how it will be safe. If you want more than 500 you will have to come with a plan for transportation, parking, policing, Covid officers and handwashing, etc. That is not far away; level 2 is May 17. We would be cautious but not ridiculous.
“I think with vaccinations going the way it’s going, and supplies allow us, we’ll have vaccinated all adults by the end of July. So just in time for the season to begin, I think we will have some people inside stadia. I don’t think they will be full yet as we aren’t sure what vaccination does to numbers in the real world. And hopefully through the season those numbers will go up.”
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