Hibs boss Jack Ross has 'enormous sympathy' for Hearts over training chaos

Jambos sidelined at Oriam as English teams get green light to train

Jack Ross admits it's 'hard to join the dots' on the decision

Hibs head coach Jack Ross believes it is “very difficult to join the dots" on the decision to suspend pre-season training for Hearts and other non-Scottish Premiership clubs as a result of actions by players from top-flight clubs.

The Scottish FA and Scottish Professional Football League took action after Aberdeen and Celtic players contravened coronavirus restrictions, but the temporary suspension until August 24 affects all clubs outwith the Scottish Premiership, with top-flight teams exempt.

While Hearts are prevented from continuing their pre-season preparations ahead of the Scottish Championship’s restart in October, clubs from England including Hull City are currently making use of the same pitches and facilities the Capital club had been using prior to the decision.

Ross said: “I think it is very difficult to believe it makes any type of sense.

“It’s contradictory, to say the least, and not that helpful to Scottish football. I was surprised to see the decision.”

The Easter Road side faces their city rivals in a Scottish Cup semi-final later this year but the Hibs head coach does not believe the latest chaos will hand his side any sort of advantage and is instead concentrating on his own team.

He continued: "I don’t pay attention in terms of their preparation and what they’ve got ahead of them. I’ve got enough to focus on here.

“But, in the broader picture, I do find it slightly puzzling, given the fact that there’s now an English club training at the same facility.

“Not just for Hearts but for other teams as well, outwith the professional pyramid.

“They’ve been back doing socially distanced training and have had to put the breaks on their preparations as well.

“I have enormous sympathy because I’ve worked at different levels of the game, I know the challenges, and I know how much it means to people to be out training.

“For that to be missing for another couple of weeks is a blow for those clubs.

“I can understand their frustration. I can understand because it’s through no fault of their own.

“I don’t make the decisions. I don’t necessarily agree with it. But that’s neither here nor there.”