Jason Leitch open to 'controversial' return of Celtic and Rangers fans

Scotland’s national clinical director Jason Leitch would be open to allowing supporters back into football grounds on a ‘controversial’ postcode basis.

Celtic and Rangers fans who live in the same postcode as Parkhead and Ibrox could be first to return to games. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Leitch reacted positively when questioned over whether Celtic and Rangers season ticket holders who lived in the same postcode as Parkhead and Ibrox could be permitted back inside the stadium as part of the first steps towards a phased return of supporters.

"I think so,” Leitch told BBC Scotland's Off the Ball programme.

"That's controversial because people wouldn't like the fact they had been excluded, but as we go back we're not going to go from zero to 30,000, let's be clear.

"It's going to go from zero to 750, to 1500, to 3000. It's going to move in stages like it has in some other parts of the world.

"You’ve got to do it when the prevalence is low enough for it to be safe."

"There's two linked challenges," he added. "There's the people who go and where they come from, and the stadium itself. If you want to go see Montrose play you are unlikely to be traveling a huge distance. Most people who go see Montrose play probably live in Montrose.

"Celtic and Rangers that's not true, and it's not true necessarily for (clubs like) Aberdeen.

“There's the risk of the place, then there's the risk of the people getting to the place and we've got to take both into account. That’s not impossible, we can do that. It can all be managed but we've got to manage it very carefully."