Celtic statement: Scottish football season cannot be voided due to coronavirus outbreak

Club have called for SFA and SPFL to come up with a fair solution

Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell has called for the governing bodies in Scottish football to find a ‘fair and reasonable solution’ to conclude the 2019/20 season as he made it clear the reigning champions would not support the campaign being voided.

The Parkhead chief released a statement on Celtic website where he stated that the coronavirus outbreak and the following consequences it had been ‘monitored closely’ by the club.

There remains a debate as to how the Scottish football season will be completed with over 20 per cent of matches in a league campaign still to be played.

Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell, right, with majority shareholder Dermot Desmond. Picture: SNS

Uefa has instructed its member associations to do whatever they can to get league campaigns finished by the end of June, though there are prominent Scottish football figures, including Hearts owner Ann Budge, who believe that would not be possible.

Celtic currently hold a 13-point gap at the top of the Ladbrokes Premiership table over rivals Rangers and would receive their ninth successive title if it were decided that league trophies were handed out to the teams currently in first place.

There have also been calls to void the season if it cannot be completed, something which Lawwell said “cannot” happen due to “severe” consequences.

He wrote: “With regard to the present domestic Premiership League situation, our strong preference is, of course, to complete all remaining matches. To date, we have had a magnificent campaign, undefeated in this calendar year, completing 30 league matches already to create a commanding lead and we are now on the cusp of winning our ninth successive title.

“As many have already said, the season cannot be voided as the consequences of that are so severe. In the event that the matches cannot be completed, then the responsibility to find a fair and reasonable solution for the finalisation of all domestic leagues will be with the Scottish football governing bodies.

“We hope that the governing bodies are able to provide some clarity to clubs and supporters as soon as possible on the way forward, although we appreciate that this is a hugely demanding time.”

Lawwell also announced that Celtic will be contributing resources to helping people in the community deal with the ramifications of the global pandemic.

He added: “Everyone at Celtic Football Club and Celtic FC Foundation is aware of how coronavirus is impacting on our communities. We are pleased to announce today that we are putting resources in place with the aim of helping the most vulnerable in our society during this period and we will make an announcement shortly with regards to these plans. Our aim is to do as much as we possibly can to help those in need.

“We know Celtic supporters are famous for their spirit of solidarity and togetherness. We understand that this is a hugely difficult situation for everyone across the globe, but by working together we know we can overcome these challenges.

“While this is a situation which is developing constantly, we will continue to keep our supporters updated as much as we possibly can. We thank you for your continued support, we wish you and your families well and we look forward to you being back with us as soon as possible.”