Peter Lawwell has appealed to the Scottish Government to make plans for the return of fans to football grounds.
A fortnight before the SPFL Premiership season kicks off there has been no word about when fans can return to watching their teams play.
Season Ticket sales at all top flight clubs seem to have stood up well but the return of fans on a match-day opens up numerous income streams.
The Daily Record had reported that Celtic had been hoping to host a pilot match on July 25 but so far that date remains blank in the build up to the new season for Neil Lennon’s squad.
This morning Boris Johnson announced his intention to have the public back inside stadia in October with Lawwell taking a very direct approach to Holyrood tonight in a statement to the Celtic website:
We have discussed the idea of ‘pilot’ games with the Scottish Government and believe it provides a safe, sensible way forward. As a club, we have put enormous thought and effort into making Celtic Park fully compliant with all public health-related requirements while allowing our supporters to return to watching football.
It is acknowledged that Scottish football has been exemplary in implementing all the safeguards required of it, first to get back into training and, from August 1st, to playing competitive SPFL matches.
We are convinced that this should now be accompanied by a phased return of spectators which would be good, not only for the game of football but also for public health and morale in Scotland more generally.
Scottish clubs are much more dependent on matchday revenues than other, larger leagues. That factor should be taken account of, so long as the public health obligations are met, to which we are entirely committed.
We also have an obligation to our own supporters to make the case for them to be allowed to watch live football, particularly when they can see the steady progress towards this in other European leagues.
Alongside other sporting bodies, Celtic will continue to engage in constructive dialogue with the Scottish Government and look forward to early progress.
Celtic open their season at home to Hamilton Accies on August 2 with further home games against Aberdeen and Motherwell later in the month.
