Monday 11th January 2021
THE Scottish Football Association’s announcement earlier today of the suspension of Scottish football below the Championship impacts on Dumbarton’s fixture schedule.
The suspension is in place for the entirety of January from midnight tonight, and no football will take place in League One or the Scottish Cup during this period.
Our Scottish Cup tie with Huntly, due to be played tomorrow night, is off and will not be played until at least February.
Aberdeen’s trip to face the winners of the tie in round three will also be held in abeyance until Sons have faced the Highland League outfit.
Sons’ next two League One fixtures have also been postponed. They were due to be at home to Forfar Athletic on Saturday, and Peterhead a week later.
Our outstanding fixtures at home to East Fife and Airdrieonians, postponed due to bad weather, will also not take place until the suspension is lifted.
It means that the earliest Dumbarton will play their next fixture, as things stand, is Saturday, February 6 when they are away to Falkirk.
Our next scheduled home fixture, again as things stand, is the following Saturday, against Montrose.
Meanwhile, Neil Doncaster, chief executive of the SPFL, said of this morning’s decision: “We have been in very regular contact with our colleagues at the SFA in light of the latest worrying developments regarding the spread of Covid.
“The SPFL Board met this morning and fully supports the Scottish FA’s proportionate and appropriate response to the worsening situation across the country.
“It is a sensible and necessary step which balances the need for the game to continue to play its part in limiting the spread of the virus whilst also ensuring that the top two divisions, which provide the overwhelming bulk of the income which supports the wider game, are able to be maintained for the good of the entire sport.”