Hearts and Hibs are both open to the offer of using BT Murrayfield when social restrictions allow for limited numbers of supporters to attend football matches. The new Scottish Premiership season is aiming to kick off on 1 August but games will almost certainly be played behind closed doors. If and when fans are allowed back in, it is likely to be in drastically reduced numbers. Murrayfield’s 67,000 capacity would allow spectators to be spaced out if two-metre social distancing rules still apply and Dominic McKay, the Scottish Rugby Union’s chief operating officer, said the stadium is well equipped to host football. “We have spoken to various football teams in the city of Edinburgh around potentially utilising our facility in the season ahead and we would be happy to do that if it was right for them and for us,” McKay told the SRU’s weekly podcast. “If sport can collaborate then football can play at BT Murrayfield to restart their sport and that helps our sport start in many ways.” Hearts and Hibs have both played at Murrayfield, the former as recently as 2018 when they faced Celtic in a League Cup semi-final. Hearts also played there in 2017 when the main stand at Tynecastle was being rebuilt and used it as a venue for European matches over a decade ago. Hibs and Hearts have both used the stadium to take on Barcelona in pre-season friendlies. McKay added: “We can share the best practice from an elite game in rugby and in football, to share with our colleagues in grassroots and to restart the sport at grassroots level at some point and we must do that.” A spokesperson for Hibs said: “We are open to any viable option that allows Hibernian supporters to watch their team.” A Hearts spokesman said: “Following discussions with Scottish Rugby the club is open to the idea of utilising BT Murrayfield as a hub if it proves to be a way to safely introduce larger crowds back to football.” A message from the Editor: Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you. With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription. Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up. Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website. Joy Yates Editorial Director