2020-03-15: Celtic P-P TheRangers, SP

• Sunday match, league game at Ibrox Park – Postponed
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• The Scottish football season suspended the match until further notice over fears about coronavirus, the SPFL has confirmed. And also all Scottish matches under SFA & SPFL banner were postponed .
• A statement read: “The Joint Response Group can confirm the decision of the Scottish FA Board to suspend ALL domestic professional and grassroots football under the jurisdiction of the Scottish FA until further notice.
• CoVid-19 : Concerns were rising: Initally was just Arsenal game postponed, players isolated. Concerns grew that all grounds >1000 to have games played behind closed doors . Now all matches etc in the UK.
• Clubs warned not to expect extra cash handouts from the SPFL if forced to play games behind closed doors.
• Scotland to implement ban on gatherings of 500+ from Monday. Outrage originally as this was to after two Sevco home games, and most believe the timing down to after their two home games, whilst all other countries put ban in immediately. Shambles & disgrace.
• Friday: Reality dawned as all across Europe all others were cancelling/postponing events & their matches/leagues etc, and SFA & SPFL had no choice but to follow suit.
• SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said it was “neither realistic nor possible” to continue with games.
• Glasgow’s Scotstoun Sports campus has been closed due to a member testing positive for the coronavirus. The complex, which includes an athletics and rugby stadium, home to the Glasgow Warriors rugby union side, was closed as a precautionary measure by arena bosses.
• Celtic were to face a Huddersfield Town XI at Lennoxtown on Friday with a number of Championship fringe players including Collin Quaner set to feature.
• Ex-Celt Artur Boruc at Bournemouth self-isolated as concerns he may have contracted the virus (along with some colleagues). Ex-Rangers player Mikel Arteta (Arsenal) has contracted the virus. We wish all the strength in the world to all in these concerning circumstances.
• Prior to the match: Taking draconian measures to deal with the coronavirus pandemic risks causing another spike in cases and would be “delaying the inevitable”, a Scottish health chief has warned. Following the Scottish Government’s decision to cancel gatherings of more than 500 people from Monday, national clinical director Professor Jason Leitch also said he is “comfortable” about the match going ahead on Sunday.

Trivia

• Robbie Fowler, a former Liverpool team-mate of Sevco manager Stevie Gerrard, insists some critics have an ‘agenda’ against the Rangers manager. We all just laughed, complete nonsense, he’s had the SMSM boosting him since day 1, and has had way too much support even when down.
• Reports: Kristoffer Ajer’s agent has said the Norwegian defender will definitely leave in the summer.
• Celtic target David Turnbull says he ‘owed it to Motherwell’ to sign new deal. He had been due to join Celtic in the summer in a record-breaking £3.25million transfer, only for the discovery of a serious knee injury to scupper his move. Fair enough, and we respect his decision. He has been thru a lot in the past year and for his own sake, we wish him good wishes in his continuing recovery.
• German manager Christoph Daum has revealed that he rejected a chance to become Celtic manager, and admitted that it was a “mistake”. Daum was approached following Neil Lennon’s decision to leave in 2014 but having just left Turkish side Bursaspor, he didn’t feel he was in the right place to take over.
• Reports: Marian Shved is said he is to hold talks with Neil Lennon over his Celtic future, according to a report. The Ukraine international signed for £2million last January and has played a little over 40 minutes of football for Celtic.
• Former footballer-turned-pundit Noel Whelan has insisted that Celtic could quite easily sell Odsonne Edouard for more than four times what they paid for the Frenchman.
• UEFA dismissed reports it has received requests from national associations to postpone Euro 2020 because of the coronavirus outbreak
• NY City: Surprising one, but ex-Celtic manager Ronnie Deila (now mgr at NY City MLS team) has brought in ex-Celt Efrain Juarez as a coach! Ex-Celt GM Stevens is a player at the club too.
• Celtic announced a five-year partnership with German sportswear giant Adidas, confirming rumours that had been circulating since last year. The Bavarian-based firm will provide kits for both the men’s and women’s teams after the two parties struck a deal which is believed to be the largest kit sponsorship deal in Scottish sport.
• Sevco lost 3-1 at home to Bayer in the UEFA Cup.
  

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Review

(JBC of TheCelticWiki)

Some things in life are more important than sport & leisure – to state the obvious.

The UK & Scottish authorities haven’t covered themselves in glory over their actions on Coronavirus to date, but reality finally dawned by postponing/cancelling matches & events in Scotland, only after it became the norm across the globe rather than taking the lead.

Celtic well ahead in the league at this stage (13pts but Sevco have game in hand), but other concerns are taking centre-stage understandably.

On the football front, Celtic should be given the league title without question, and similarly Liverpool in England. The leads of the two clubs are too great to overcome for the other sides in their divisions.

The question remains about relegation. Hearts are clear bottom by 4pts but that doesn’t mean they are set for relegation. It’s an unenviable task for any administrator to resolve, legally & personally.

Articles

• Match Report (see end of page below)

Forum

• Pre-match

Articles

Coronavirus in Scotland: Scottish football season SUSPENDED until further notice
An emergency meeting of the SFA / SPFL Joint Response Group took place this morning
By Patrick McPartlin
Friday, 13th March 2020, 12:35 pm
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https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/coronavirus-scotland-scottish-football-season-suspended-until-further-notice-2449463
All domestic professional and grassroots football in Scotland has been suspended until further notice.

The decision was taken by the Scottish FA board following a meeting of the SFA / SPFL Joint Response Group on Friday morning.

A statement read: “The Joint Response Group can confirm the decision of the Scottish FA Board to suspend ALL domestic professional and grassroots football under the jurisdiction of the Scottish FA until further notice.
Celtic: Get the latest team news, match previews and reports
Scottish football at all levels has been suspended until further notice
Scottish football at all levels has been suspended until further notice Copyright: Other 3rd Party

“As a result, the SPFL has announced the postponement of this weekend’s and following midweek’s fixtures, starting with tonight’s Premiership match between Motherwell and Aberdeen and the Championship match between Queen of the South and Ayr United.

“The Scottish FA and SPFL will continue to liaise with governments and UEFA in relation to domestic, European and International fixtures in the coming days and more information will be communicated at the appropriate time.

“The Scottish FA Board made its decision in the interests of the health and safety of players, match officials, staff, supporters and the general public.”

SFA chief Ian Maxwell added: “Since the guidance outlined by governments last night we have been engaged in extensive dialogue to clarify the position and implications of that guidance for Scottish football.

“Today’s announcement is made in the interests of public health but, equally, the health and safety of players, match officials, and staff across the game. This is of paramount importance as the country enters the ‘delay’ phase of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It is also why the Scottish FA is compelled to ensure that the suspension is cascaded through the non-professional and grassroots games until further notice.”

League chief Neil Doncaster said: “As everyone knows, this is a fast-moving and unprecedented situation for the entire country.

“We have been in intensive and detailed discussions since last night and have also been taking on board the experience of our counterparts in England and across Europe. As a result, the board of the SPFL has agreed this morning that all league fixtures this weekend and next midweek will be postponed until further notice.

“The health and safety of fans, players and officials is absolutely paramount. We have not yet had any confirmed cases of Coronavirus amongst players in Scotland, but, given the nature of this outbreak, it seems only a matter of time.

“We realise that many people will be bitterly disappointed, and we would obviously prefer to be in a position where we can continue as normal, but that’s neither realistic nor possible.”

UEFA has already postponed all of next week’s Europa League and Champions League fixtures, including Rangers’ trip to Germany to face Bayer Leverkusen, while PFA Scotland has expressed concern at the prospect of games being played behind closed doors, insisting the welfare of players should come first.