The club can confirm we have signed up the bulk of the squad for next season, fifteen of last season’s squad renewing their contracts with the manager delighted to keep the nucleus of last season’s squad; we are happy where we are at this time. The players who have re-signed are:-

Neil Parry, Andy Wilson, Andy Graham, Scott Taggart, Liam Dick, Steven Hetherington, Jon Robertson, Alan Trouten, Adam Brown, Blair Malcolm, Kevin Cawley, Liam Buchanan, Robert Thomson, Cameron O’Donnell & Nathan Gilhooly.

Joint response group update

On Thursday 9 April 2020 The Scottish FA board met via video conference this morning to discuss the implications of the most up-to-date government and medical advice on the governing body’s suspension on football. Based on this advice, it has unanimously agreed to extend the suspension at all levels of the game from professional to recreational until at least 10 June. The board had initially suspended football until further notice and with a stipulation of April 30 at the earliest, in order to give member clubs greater certainty on player welfare and wellbeing, as well as financial clarity. Since the announcement on 19 March, the Joint Response Group has received daily updates from the Scottish FA’s Medical Consultant, Dr John MacLean, based on his discussions with medical colleagues in Scotland and the United Kingdom, as well as within UEFA and the World Health Organisation.

The Scottish FA board has also given due consideration to a letter received by the Scottish Government Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing, Joe FitzPatrick, drawing attention to the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (Scotland) Regulations 2020, which banned public gatherings of more than two people. Mr FitzPatrick stated that these restrictions were unlikely to be lifted for at least 13 weeks and that NHS Scotland had been placed on an emergency footing until at least 10 June 2020. Mr FitzPatrick indicated that no group training would be permitted before the legal restrictions are lifted and noted the medical advice that competitive matches could not take place for about six weeks after training and conditioning recommences. This was consistent with the advice of the Scottish FA’s Medical Consultant, as well as UEFA’s confirmation on a recent videoconference that its fixture calendar working group was now looking at dates beyond June 2020 for the resumption of its competitions across Europe. It was after full consideration of all these facts that the board has decided to extent the suspension of all football, which for clarity also applies to all training and conditioning of players.

Rod Petrie, Scottish FA President:

We are grateful to Dr John MacLean for his input to the Joint Response Group and to the Scottish FA board.

The message is very clear: the government restrictions introduced to save lives must be adhered to and there is no prospect of an early resumption of training let alone organised football in Scotland for several weeks.

The decision to suspend all football until at least 10 June is to help clubs ensure the safety and wellbeing of players, staff and supporters as well as take steps to mitigate their costs. Scottish football applauds everyone working within NHS Scotland and the care sector and should place no additional burden at a time when their resources are being tested to the limit because of COVID-19.

The SPFL and SFA have announced the suspension of all professional & grassroots football under their jurisdiction effective from Friday 13th March, 2020, due to the coronavirus situation.

The Joint Response Group can confirm the decision of the Scottish FA Board to suspend ALL domestic professional and grassroots football under the jurisdiction of the Scottish FA until further notice.

As a result, the SPFL has announced the postponement of this weekend’s and following midweek’s fixtures, starting with tonight’s Premiership match between Motherwell and Aberdeen and the Championship match between Queen of the South and Ayr United.

The Scottish FA and SPFL will continue to liaise with governments and UEFA in relation to domestic, European and International fixtures in the coming days and more information will be communicated at the appropriate time.

The Scottish FA Board made its decision in the interests of the health and safety of players, match officials, staff, supporters and the general public.

Ian Maxwell, Scottish FA Chief Executive:

Since the guidance outlined by governments last night we have been engaged in extensive dialogue to clarify the position and implications of that guidance for Scottish football.

Today’s announcement is made in the interests of public health but, equally, the health and safety of players, match officials, and staff across the game. This is of paramount importance as the country enters the ‘delay’ phase of the coronavirus pandemic.

It is also why the Scottish FA is compelled to ensure that the suspension is cascaded through the non-professional and grassroots games until further notice.

Neil Doncaster, SPFL chief executive, said:

As everyone knows, this is a fast-moving and unprecedented situation for the entire country. “We have been in intensive and detailed discussions since last night and have also been taking on board the experience of our counterparts in England and across Europe. As a result, the board of the SPFL has agreed this morning that all league fixtures this weekend and next midweek will be postponed until further notice.

The health and safety of fans, players and officials is absolutely paramount. We have not yet had any confirmed cases of Coronavirus amongst players in Scotland, but, given the nature of the outbreak, it seems only a matter of time.

We realise that many people will be bitterly disappointed and we would obviously prefer to be in a position to continue as normal, but that’s neither realistic or possible.

We will update this message as soon as any further decisions are made, the announcement is made in the interests of public health but, equally the health & safety of the players, match officials, and staff across the game. This is of paramount importance as the country enters the delay phase of the coronavirus pandemic.