Celtic face Hibernian on Sunday in the Premier Sports Cup Final at Hampden. However, the game will take place in the backdrop of a surge in COVID-19 cases fuelled by the new Omicron variant, which many had feared would put the game in doubt. Although, during a briefing today First Minister Nicola Sturgeon refused to be drawn into specific games but she did say that fans should ‘think carefully’ before making the trip to games.
“My advice to people right now is please limit your social interactions, whatever that would normally be. Limit them as much as you can.
“I’m not doing this lightly, I’m asking people in the run up to Christmas to stay at home as much as they can and much more than normal.
“Had we financial support mechanisms in place that were in place earlier in the pandemic, I would be more able to give straightforward advice to events, and say, ‘don’t let these events go ahead right now’. I can’t do that when I can’t compensate people.
🗣️"Think about whether it is worth it to you to run the risk of not being with your family on Christmas day."
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and has asked people to limit social interactions and outlined the risk of attending football matches ahead of this weekend's action👇 pic.twitter.com/jSIlvwB91f
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) December 17, 2021
“All I can do right now is ask people to modify their own behaviour.
“My message to everybody is think very carefully about every interaction you’re having.
“Every time we go anywhere, we’re a week and a day away from Christmas Day, if any of us who get Covid right now we’re isolating for Christmas Day.
“If you’re planning to go somewhere you have to make that judgement but think about if it’s worth it to you, to run the risk of not being with your family on Christmas Day.”
Celtic will be hoping to put managerless Hibs to the sword at Hampden and sealing their fifth League Cup in six years. Ange Postecoglou will be eyeing his first piece of silverware as the Celtic manager despite having a threadbare team due to injuries.
Unfortunately, it seems that the prominence of the virus will inevitably have some impact on football. Hopefully the winter break will be able to act as ‘circuit breaker’ so that fans are not once again locked out of games as was the case last year.
