Hibs and Hearts open to using Murrayfield

Rugby ‘hub’ could allow fans to attend games

Hearts played at BT Murrayfield in the Betfred Cup semi-final against Celtic in 2018. Picture: SNS

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.

SRU chief operating officer Dominic McKay with SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster. Picture: SNS

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.”

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