Boris Johnson’s announcement that crowds could be back at football by October has given hope to fans north of the Border.
It’s one of the few times BoJo has put a smile on the face of any Scot.
But if broken promises and empty gestures were a sport, Johnson would be top of the table.
His handling of the Covid-19 pandemic has been disastrous while Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has played him off the pitch.
Sturgeon and clinical director Jason Leitch said last week it could be November before we see crowds again at Scottish football but that may be too late for some clubs.
Most of our smaller sides can’t survive without punters coming through the turnstiles. And while we wouldn’t trust Boris with a Subbuteo set, we must hope this is not another own goal.
Fans back inside grounds in October in a Covid-safe environment would be a huge boost for a Scotland ravaged by death, hardship and turmoil these past few months.
If the science dictates it can be done, and there are no lives in danger, let’s do everything possible to make it happen.
The Scottish Premiership season kicks off behind closed doors in two weeks but wouldn’t it be great when the lower leagues follow in October if the fans return with them?
There’s also the small matter of Scotland’s biggest match in years – a vital European Championship play-off against Israel at Hampden – later that month too.
If our number of cases continues to shrink, it must be a target to have that game – and the Old Firm match which follows a couple of weeks later – played in front of crowds.
That’s a goal football fans up and down the country can all cheer for.
Split decision
Boris Johnson has said the union “proved its worth” during the pandemic and there is no doubt that the furlough scheme and other Government interventions have helped every part of the UK and staved off mass unemployment.
However, what the Prime Minister did not say is that many other Tory policies have destabilised the UK.
His support for pushing through Brexit, when Scots voted against it, showed his commitment to the union is only skin deep. His failure to increase the Scottish Government’s borrowing powers to deal with the pandemic is another slap in the face.
Recent polls which show a surge in support for independence are a reflection on Johnson’s divisive policies.
If Thatcher was the handmaiden of devolution, Johnson may end up being the politician who paved the way for independence.
