September 9 – In a potentially significant breakthrough after a six-month shutdown that has crippled club finances, two Scottish top-flight grounds are being allowed to welcome a limited number of fans to games this weekend.
Aberdeen versus Kilmarnock and Ross County v Celtic on Saturday will host up to 300 fans with what SPFL boss Neil Doncaster describes as a “huge amount at stake” for Scottish football.
The matches are being treated as pilot events, after both home teams submitted detailed operational plans for the safe entry and exit of supporters.
Doncaster says the success of the two test events is vital to allow greater numbers of spectators to return.
“We all want the atmosphere fans create back at grounds,” he said. “But clubs need fans back in the stadia in order to survive economically.
“It’s a very, very difficult financial balancing act at present and we need to have a route map back to fans in stadia – that’s why this weekend is so important.”
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