Nicola Sturgeon has cautioned fans not to expect an October return to matches.
The last competitive Scottish football match was played in early March, before the shutdown was put in place that eventually saw the season being called in April.
With the Premiership set to kick off next month, fans had been hopeful of a quick return to matches. As quoted in Record Sport, Professor Jason Leitch has said: “We cannot predict when crowds will be back. I can predict that it will not be soon, it will be phased.
“I had another conversation yesterday with the leadership of the SFA and the SPFL, the club leadership along with some colleagues and I have suggested in media in the last two or three days, perhaps October.
"I would maybe pencil that into your calendar but I certainly wouldn’t write over it in pen."
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has today advised fans that an October return is not guaranteed, saying: “Football with crowds has not been pencilled in for October. We haven’t taken that decision yet.
“Jason was simply trying to find a way of saying, ‘Don’t assume it will be October when we get crowds back’.
“So do not take from this that we have given football an October provisional date for crowds being back. That’s not the case and actually I don’t think it’s a fair interpretation of what Jason actually said.”
The Premiership season is scheduled to begin on August 1, with Celtic aiming to fend off Rangers and secure a historic tenth successive league title.
