Scottish football’s appeals for a financial lifeline look to have fallen on deaf ears after the UK Government told elite sport they’re on their own.
Record Sport on Wednesday night exclusively revealed English clubs were hopeful of a £500million bailout after Prime Minster Boris Johnson warned supporters could be locked out of grounds until April 2021.
It was hoped the game in Scotland could grab a portion of that cash – potentially around £50m – through the Barnet Formula.
We also told how crunch talks between Holyrood and Hampden have been ongoing as all 12 Premiership sides rallied together in a bid to avert a potential disaster.
Neil Lennon was just one big hitting boss that warned clubs faced extinction if they don’t receive help from Downing Street and Holyrood.
But the Celtic manager and other pleas look set to be ignored as UK sports minister Nigel Huddleston declared top tiers of professional sport will be expected to find ways to support themselves where possible during the coronavirus pandemic.
Huddleston told MPs the Government's focus will be helping "those most in need" within the sporting world, as he confirmed discussions with sports governing bodies are ongoing about further assistance.
He also said he could not give "definitive timescales" for reopening events, while no mention of provisions for sport were made in a package of measures Chancellor Rishi Sunak set out on Thursday afternoon, although discussions over emergency funding only began on Tuesday.
Speaking in the Commons, shadow sports minister Alison McGovern said: "The Government's failures on track and trace have consequences for football clubs, as we've heard from Conservative MPs this morning, and we all want to know what the plan is to save the game we love.
"So suppose, as has been indicated in the media, that the Premier League is not prepared to underwrite the rest of football, I'd like to know who then would be to blame when clubs collapse?
"Will it be the Premier League or will it be Conservative ministers speaking from this despatch box?"
Mr Huddleston replied: "I can assure (Ms McGovern) we're having detailed conversations with sport, including football, and we appreciate this latest announcement (banning spectators) will have economic consequences for sport and we had been hoping for the return of spectators that bring in so much income.
"Where it can, we will expect the top tiers of professional sport to look at ways it can support itself, with the Government focusing on those most in need."
