News Detail » Scottish Amateur FA Executive & Finance Statement
As you will be aware the Scottish Government has now advised on the initial
steps on the road out of the current lockdown.
We are all delighted to note the
progress being made against the virus and, with the rollout of the vaccines we
hope a return to normality will be possible in the months ahead.
In their Road Map, the Westminster Government announced that all outdoor
organised grassroots team sports may be possible from 29 th March, although we
recognise this is an indicative date.
It was extremely disappointing to note that, once again, the Scottish Government
failed to give any indication of when adult organised grassroots football would
be able to plan for a return. Once again it appears we are being forgotten about
in relation to other levels of the game.
We fully accept that a further period of restrictions is required to ensure the
virus is supressed to low levels and to allow for the vaccine roll out, hopefully
thus ensuring this will be the last lockdown.
However, it has been accepted by all leading scientists that outdoor activity
presents a far lower risk of transmission - particularly when the mitigations, as
agreed with the Scottish FA and Sportscotland, are in place.
It has been announced that, in the weeks ahead, the Scottish Government intend
to introduce a new Strategic Framework. We wish to advise our membership
that we will be writing to the Scottish Government to ask that outdoor organised
team sports is given a higher priority in the revised Levels of this framework,
and that they allow grassroots football to be played sooner than previously,
when it was only allowed in the then Level 2.
We will be emphasising the benefits they provide in terms of physical and mental
wellbeing and reminding the Government of the lower transmission risk during
outdoor activity, a risk which will reduce even further both as we progress into
the summer months and as more of the public are vaccinated.
At this time, we urge our members once again to contact their local MSPs and
MPs to canvass their support to ensure a higher degree of importance is placed
on the return of grassroots football for both male and female players. Given there
are Scottish Parliament elections on 6 th May, we would anticipate positive
responses from our publicly-elected officials to your communications.
The Scottish Amateur FA and all our membership remain fully supportive of our
health care and key workers during this pandemic. We are so grateful for all
their efforts in the last year.
We ask that the Scottish Government recognise that, in this lockdown, the
majority of grassroots players have been without the sport they love for 6
months and implore them to ensure grassroots football is returned at the earliest
opportunity.
