Battle lines drawn- Nine clubs back Celtic’s call to bring forward winter break

Celtic have been joined by nine other Premiership clubs calling on the SPFL to bring forward the winter break.

No matches are scheduled between January 3 and 26 with the Scottish Cup fourth round being played over the weekend of January 22 and 23.

Yesterday the Scottish Government announced that from December 26 crowds would be limited to 500 which would impact on three sets of fixtures before the January break.

Every club will be impacted by the loss of matchday income with a percentage of fans likely to avoid attending football while the country is very close to Lockdown.

Following Celtic’s call to bring forward the winter break, The Sun reports:

The Hoops are backed by NINE Premiership rivals, after crowds were restricted to just 500 for at least three weeks.

Crisis talks have taken place between Premiership clubs following First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s bombshell ruling.

SunSport understands at least ten clubs are in favour of an early break, providing Sky Sports agree to reschedule live games.

The SPFL board held talks with clubs and TV chiefs and the ten members will make the decision by a majority vote.

Sky Sports has three fixtures planned for screening before the break but the spectacle of those matches is drastically reduced if fans are wiped out.

The internal workings of the SPFL can often be a mystery with a Board of Directors in place alongside the option of clubs holding a vote requiring just a majority vote although major issues need a 10-2 majority to be implemented.