So far, it is clear that Covid hygiene rules were not followed at St Mirren, where seven non-playing staff tested positive for the virus. Additionally, the SFA have launched an investigation into allegations Newco fielded nine players against Dundee United on Wednesday without receiving the required negative test results.
The anomaly came to light because Newco arranged two games on Wednesday. Motherwell, their opponents in the second game, had their results delayed by the same testing backlog. This brought attention to the fact that neither club received the all-clear until Wednesday evening, several hours after the Newco-Dundee United game.
There are significant health and commercial risks at play here. The seven staff at St Mirren could easily (and may have) infect the playing staff. If St Mirren then played a game, the virus would almost certainly infect not only the rest of the team but their opponents. Games involving these teams would be postponed for weeks, perhaps months. Dozens of carriers would travel home from that game and Scotland would have a fresh wave to worry about.
The SFA Joint Response Group reached a deal with the Scottish Government on how and when to return to training and then games, all predicated on safety rules being adhered to. Celtic, and others, have transformed their stadiums into an environment where socially distanced spectators can attend safely and be seen to do so.
They want fans back soon and wait on Government clearance. That possibility disappeared yesterday, when allegations emerged that one club has been cheating. Football is as trustworthy as its greatest rogue. I doubt the SFA considered how to discipline a club that flaunts Covid rules and risks the entire game in this country. No fine would be large enough to match the financial consequences for others.
There is no infection at Ibrox, the pain of any breach there will be felt by fans of all clubs not attending fixtures until later. St Mirren were less negligent but their issue is more serious and spooked me. If this happened in my workplace, when most others have returned to work, it could threaten the entire business. We are going to move into a stage when most of the world is getting on with things, and some businesses will be halted by infection, acute illness and worse.
I have spoken to staff at Celtic who have been impressed at the processes in place to protect club employees from infection, from everything I hear, we are getting things right. The evidence elsewhere is that others are complacent. If that is allowed to continue, next season and the health of many is in jeopardy.
You have to wonder what’s in the water at Ibrox with the incessant flouting of rules.
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The squad that has won every trophy going and got us a winning europa league group?
That squad 🤔
the current squad going into this season imo is the poorest group of players
in comparison to previous 9
Canny agree,think you’re just looking for a moan 😉
who me moan , your thinking of someone else
HH
RON67-my apologies 😉
Obviously my mistake 😜
no apologies , good to get various points of view.
Ron67-👍
So, Tauranagabhoy, you’re choosing to conveniently gloss over the whole part of the article where Paul states that seven St Mirren staff tested positive when it was common knowledge at the time the article was posted that this was false?
HAIRLIKESPAGHETTI on 24TH JULY 2020 8:58 PM
Odd that Paul ran an obviously erroneous article when it was clear that 6 of the 7 tests at St Mirren were known to be false positives, but why leg the truth get in the way of a good conspiracy theory. What’s worse is that he’s done nothing to correct his mistake in the hours since…
Tests can be inconclusive as well as positive and negative.
An inconclusive result is not a false positive as you seem to imply.it is a result in it’s own and generally means a retest is taken/offered as happened.independently of the inconclusive first tests.
There can be many reason for this,swab not done thoroughly for example
Nae conspiracy,:-)
Keep safe mate
HH
Test
Hairlikespaghetti I am saying that whether the tests were positive or negative or false is irrelevant. The game went ahead before the results of the test were through. Huge irresponsible risk. Hail Hail. Hope FF comes home.
Ron67/Turkeybhoy,
It could be that Celtic are letting it be known to Southampton that they have other options and are willing to take them.
With Southampton supposedly wanting to get money for Forster (granted this is an an online “fact”) it puts PL in a better bargaining position surely to show he is willing to walk away – we do do walking away…
And if things don’t work out with Fraser then we have another option on another fine keeper – at least as far as we have been informed on here :)
Mbappe’s bad ankle injury means that he won’t be signing on loan for Celtic
So, the football club playing out of Ibrox, after bringing the game into disrepute through trading while insolvent for at least the past 4 years, launching libellous attacks against the leaders of the game in Scotland, spouting spurious, vacuous nonsense about having a “dossier” proving lies and malfeasance in the game, which proved to be more lies, have now flouted health rules by fielding 9 players without the necessary Coronavirus screening, thereby jeopardising the lives of everyone involved in the Dundee United game, and beyond?
And nobody in Scotland will take them to task?
Is that really where we are right now?
I have already lost 3 close friends and family members due to this virus.
This isn’t a joke. It’s life and death, and if a football club, any football club, thinks it is above the health rules, they should be closed down, right now, and remain closed down until they can prove that they can operate safely. And then they should be independently tested before every game.
But this is Scotland, and The Rangers. So nothing happens.
And smug people In Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, say Nigeria, Congo and Venezuela are corrupt.
I’m ashamed of Scotland these days, I really am.
MAJESTIC HARTSON
True. Unless Athens get pissed off with us stalling, haggling, and nitpicking, and simply stop talking to us. Seem to remember that happening a couple of seasons ago with the Italian right back who ended up at Valencia. The danger is that we end up with squat, and it’s 9 days until the season starts.
In the same vein, Sevco acted much faster to replace Katic than we have to replace Simunovic. Now they have far more cover at center back, both right and left sided, than we do – Goldson, Edmundson, Helander, Brassey and Balogun, with Katic to return eventually. We have Julien, Ajer, an out of position Bitton, and a chocolate El Hamed. Does not inspire confidence for a period where a Red Imps type result means we have no European football of any kind.
Really Iniquitousiv? Would you want any one of those 5 so-called defenders? Not I.
LOGINFFS!!!
SCANIEL
That’s not my point. A bankrupt team is more efficient in meeting their identified needs than we are. After identifying Barisic as the best opposition player in a Europa League tie, they had him signed and at the Bigotdome in 4 days. We can only dream of getting a first team ready player that quickly. We are 9 days from the season starting, with some big holes to fill, and we are still fannying about. I’ll qualify that by hoping Lennybhoy is right about an incoming goalie – he is typically on the money.
Fess19 you lurking??
If no action is taken against Der hun.
The games a bogey.
You can write this season off. They will make sure. Flouting already to see how far that can push. There will never be enough conspiracy theorist in Scottish Football.
HH
Hello again all you young rebels.
Turkeybhoy
Sorry just getting back to you re-big Paul Elliot.
As I’ve stated ” I was completely wrong about him “, and he’s correct when
he stated players were all posted missing, probably because we were
playing the equivalent of a Scottish junior team and they were all trying
to get on the scoresheet lol.
I’ve told the story before how me and the family decided to follow Celtic
on their tour of Germany by camping at each of the places they had a
game.
It was Paul’s first game in some wee town I can’t remember the name of.
A tidy little ground and to my delight they had the fraulines walking about
the terraces with trays strapped round their necks and lovely German
beer in plastic tumblers on them, didn’t ever see that in Scotland.
All the way over there I’d been telling my Bhoy ” wait till you see the Celtic
supporters over here, they’ll be loads ”
Of course when we got into the ground there was only a few dotted here
and there, with my Bhoy constantly telling me ” there’s hardly any Da ”
Was chatting away to Tom Grant a Celtic director at the time who my wife
knew from work and just happened to say ” not many of our fans here today”
when a train entered the town don’t know where from, but must have been
everywhere in Europe with the hundreds of hoopies marching up the centre
of the town with banners, flags, scarves like an invading army.
And there’s my Bhoy shouting ” here they are Da, here’s the Celtic fans coming”
It was a sight to behold, very inspiring and also hilarious because the game had
started and no one was watching it, the German crowd had all turned round to
watch this spectacle parading up the centre of their town singing and dancing.
We didn’t have a good team at the time but as usual our support was world
class.
Anyhows from that time and in my dotage I’ve learned to never judge a player
too quickly.
H.H. Mick
Good morning from a damp North Staffs – got our 1 year old grandson staying over for the first time since lockdown – been up for a couple of hours – forgot there are two 5 o’clocks in a day. 😴
Free speech row over new hate crime bill in Scotland
What on earth are people worried about?
The OBAFM law worked so well!?
Were the tests administered by the recipients themselves or by medical staff. There is a big difference.
Many medical persons do not think self testing at a centre or at home is reliable, for the simple reason that we will not push the test up our noses or down our throats sufficiently to obtain accurate readings. It is extremely uncomfortable and painful if administered correctly.
HH.
GREENPINATA on 25TH JULY 2020 8:48 AM
Were the tests administered by the recipients themselves or by medical staff. There is a big difference.
Many medical persons do not think self testing at a centre or at home is reliable, for the simple reason that we will not push the test up our noses or down our throats sufficiently to obtain accurate readings. It is extremely uncomfortable and painful if administered correctly.
HH.
Greenpinata
indeed so.one of the many reasons why a test
proves inconclusive is due to self administering of the test.
Whether the swab taken is deep enough((right into back of mouth)
Alas we do not even know which form of testing the club’s are doing,is it a blood test or similar to those tests doled out by the NHS.
All that tho is only excuses,the rules were broken within the covid regime by clubs.
Am sure you will agree,I don’t know why in this day and age then every club reveal their test results say at 1pm twice weekly tues/fri.if a test fails then automatic sanction takes place.
The cheating hun does as they do.any chance to cheat they will take it.
HH
GREENINBINGLEYINOSLO on 25TH JULY 2020 12:43 AM
I doubt very much if there’s a more informed post today.
Take care.
AN TEARMANN on 25TH JULY 2020 9:09 AM
Agree. What you state is sensible and logical.
However, The huns are a law to themselves and our governing bodies seem incapable of reigning them in. I fear we will witness a new level of skullduggery this season.
I have been observing the posts on here about finance. Where the f@ck have they been getting the money from ?
We are all aware of what Covid 19 has done to our once substantial reserves, but crucially we had reserves.
Cheers and HH.
GREENINBINGLEYINOSLO
Feel your pain mate, we are finally getting to inter my mates ashes next Saturday , he passed away on Easter Sunday due to covid
Another friend also passed away due to this, I hate seeing posts on twitter and FB asking if people know anyone who had it never mind anything else
Take care mate
KTF
Competition time!
What’s wrong with Scottish journalism when you write an article which includes these two paragraphs………
The Rangers striker, who scored 29 goals in 46 appearances last term, has been the subject of increased transfer speculation this summer with a number of European heavyweights swooping for his signature.
But speaking to Caracol Radio in his homeland, Morelos told how he has had no serious offers to leave Ibrox.
Copyright Herald😵😱
Good morning from a very wet Garngad
A good and both joyous and sad read back.
We all moan (none more so than me) about this that and the next thing, but so many people have lost their lives, friends, loved ones etc.
Hail Hail and take care all
D :)
Good morning all, mild and breezy in the Chilterns this morning.
FAIRHILL BHOY @ 9:55 PM,
The squad that has won every trophy going and got us a winning europa league group?
That squad
Well I take your point but the fact is it is a dozen players in this squad have been treble winners.
Significant but the fact is the players that have left haven’t been replaced by better players. So logic tells us we are weaker.
Of course this team maintained the run last season but as we have lost half a dozen players and not brought in improvements/replacements, from where we start there is merit in what Ron67 says – imo of course.
Hail Hail
One of the benefits to Sevco not being listed on the stock exchange is some level of scrutiny that this provides and accounts being published, even that is not any guarantee as we seen by EBTs and Tax bills accrued by Rangers in full sight never paid followed by administartion and liquidation, the tax payer and creditors left out of pocket, so wherever they are getting money from they seem to be getting it and plenty of it.
Chairbhoy
Don’t forget the blessed PL told us welcome out of every window improved , I’ll wait for another of his broken promises
Melbourne Mick,
Great story.Your mention of Tom Grant,puts me onto a story.Way back in the late ups,myself,and a guy many on here from Coatbridge will know,Charley Frazer,we’re promoting Jim Mc Cann,ex Dubliner.We had sold out,City Hall,Airdrie Town Hall,and Croy Miners.Looking for one more venue.I got a meeting with Grant and asked him for the Jock Stein Lounge,saying it would cost him nothing,we would sell out the 250 tickets,and they would make a lot of money from the bar.He hummed and hawked,said he would get back to me that afternoon.He did,saying,Irish Music was not what they really wanted at Celtic Park.He was sorry,but was there any chance I could get him 15 tickets for himself and family,for Croy,as they all loved Jim Mc Cann.
And we wondered why that mob ran the club into the ground.
Ups should be “Late eighties”.Which my tablet won’t let me do in numbers.WTF
BLANTYRETIM @ 10:14 AM,
Yes quite, actually if we were going to do a rebuilding job, the position we are in at the start of the window is good.
Only fifteen or so recognised first team players, key positions that obviously need strengthened and only a few prospects.
If I thought for one moment PL would grasp the nettle and bring in the quanity and quality of player necessary I’d be happy but like you, I await the excuses.
Hail Hail
INIQUITOUSIV on 25TH JULY 2020 2:16 AM
SCANIEL
Aye, celtic are slow at signing players to some others clubs in the spfl. It does tend to be more difficult to sign players who have more and better options. We are operating in a different market place for the most part. Trying to sign an in demand international gk who is in his prime is gonna take longer than signing a free agent trying to add to his bank account as he heads towards the end of his career or a prospect who is not in demand.
I would like a left sided centreback but jullien, ajer, elhammed, bitton and welsh is not a poorer backline than last year, just replaced a sicknote with a prospect. We actually should be using the academy more to supplement the team anyway.
Best thing to do is ignore the media noise and wait for white smoke.
HH