Dave Martindale has hit out at the Scottish Government over claims that football has been given special privileges and that clubs should be held responsible for the actions of their players.
In August it was made clear to the SFA and SPFL that direct action was expected after seven Aberdeen players visited a pub while Boli Bolingoli gave himself a brief holiday in Spain without self-isolating on return.
Aberdeen and Celtic both had matches postponed with a fixture between the two teams played in midweek as the backlog was cleared.
On Monday, Nicola Sturgeon gave some vague warnings when she was asked about Ibrox players picking up Fixed Penalties for attending a party but since then the Scottish Government and football authorities have fallen silent on the subject.
In November two other Ibrox players were given Fixed Penalties for attending a house party but it seems that self-isolation and seven match suspensions have had no impact on their team-mates.
After passing an SFA Fit and Proper test despite serving a jail term for drug dealing Martindale has become increasingly fond of hearing his own voice.
With the Scottish game fearful of further sanctions the Livi boss decided to hit out at the Scottish Government while absolving clubs of all responsibility for their players.
Speaking to the Daily Record, Martindale said:
It’s not Rangers’ fault, it’s not Scottish football’s fault. Why should Scottish football get stopped because, for want of a better word, five idiots broke protocols? I keep hearing, you’re privileged, you’re privileged. Yes, we’re privileged, but people need to realise there’s a lot of other industries back at work.
I get we’re allowed to play football, but I do think it plays a huge part in society. As a club, we’ve spent a quarter of a million pounds to play football. It’s cost us that in testing. To see five footballers and then the whole of Scottish football is getting castigated, getting a negative slant on it.
We’re in house [testing], but at the start we were £4,000 a week. The clubs that were using Signpost were roughly £6,000 a week at one point and that’s from the early June. It’s incredible. We, as clubs, can’t control what players are doing outwith football.
So, for that to have an impact on the whole of Scottish football, I don’t agree with it. I can see where they’re coming from, but I don’t agree with it. And, for Rangers to get tarred with that brush as well? It’s five employees, what can Rangers physically do?
I feel sympathy for Rangers and I feel sympathy for Scottish football because we’re getting a bad name because of this and I don’t think we should. We’re in a privileged position, but how much of Scotland is out working now? Sixty or 70 per cent? Where’s he privilege for that. Are they paying a quarter of a million pound to go back to work? I don’t think they are.
Should the Scottish Government step in and postpone matches for Covidiots?
Yes, the SFA and SPFL seem selective
No, we can trust the SFA to do the right thing
Taking Martindale at his word the Livingston players, and those at other clubs, should be free to party this weekend with the only deterrent a Fixed Penalty with a warm welcome to return to training.
