S
SEARCH
M
SW
/esi/1339/6_A_4_401642_0/index.html?art_id=401642&ESI

Using Murrayfield as a hub for multiple sports "an excellent idea"

:Headline: Using Murrayfield as a hub for multiple sports 'an excellent idea': ID:401642: from db_amp
Scotland's national clinical director believes the Edinburgh ground could allow more fans to attend once crowds are allowed back again.

Using BT Murrayfield for a number of sports makes perfect sense to Scotland's national clinical director Jason Leitch.

Leitch believes some grounds could be up to a quarter full when crowds are initially allowed back into sports events.

The Scottish Rugby Union has held talks with the likes of Hearts and Hibernian over using its home when football returns from the coronavirus lockdown.

Although the Scottish Premiership season is likely to start behind closed doors, it is hoped partial crowds could be allowed towards the end of the year.

With Murrayfield capable of holding 67,000 fans under normal circumstances, Professor Leitch believes it has a number of advantages in the era of social distancing.

When asked how that would work in stadia, Professor Leitch told BBC Radio Scotland's Off The Ball: "There isn't an exact formula but what you are looking at is probably an empty two between everybody, and a couple of empty seats between people from different households. But if you go as a family of four you can sit together.

"I am thinking probably a fifth to a sixth of that stadium, maybe a quarter. Murrayfield have done this, I have seen the chart, they have done what two metres means.

"The good thing about Murrayfield is, it's big, it's accesses are big, and you don't go indoors to get to your seat. Hampden is not dissimilar but Murrayfield is slightly more isolated and on bigger acreage.

Murrayfield is set in open grounds (PA)

"In the conversation we had with football and rugby, they were both on the same call, there was a lot of chat about whether Murrayfield could be a bubble that could host quite a lot of this – behind closed doors first of all, some training and then in the fullness of time have crowds. I think it's an excellent idea. It makes perfect sense."

Meanwhile, Professor Leitch stressed that football teams will not have any special privileges when they return to training next week.

The Scottish Football Association has partially lifted the suspension of all football activity from June 11 for Premiership first-team squads only.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon this week outlined plans for players to train in groups of five when they return on Thursday.

Celtic hope to train in groups of five (PA)

But Prof Leitch said: "There is no special privileges for elite sport in phase one. The only thing they are allowed to do is the same as the rest of us.

"You can have two households meeting up outdoors. If you want to use up your household allocation as a coach and a player, that can work, or two players, that can work. They have got to physically distance, they have got to wash their hands and all the other things, they can't go indoors.

"Until phase two – and the next review is June 18, we don't know if it will start then – they are only allowed to do what's in phase one."

Prof Leitch reiterated that plans for an August 1 Premiership kick-off can only be provisional.

"This virus works in three-week chunks roughly," he added. "On average it takes a week to get sick, you're sick for a week and then you're really sick for a week if you are going to deteriorate. And unfortunately people are still dying of this disease.

"We don't know what last week's phase one does for about two weeks and really about three weeks.

"That's why the compulsory legal review period is at three-week periods. It's really important we don't go too quick."

amp_article_401642 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2020-06-06 14:25:43:
html db last update - 2020-07-01 07:10:58 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Coronavirus outbreak - Click here for more stories

Click here for more stories about Jason Leitch

Share this article now:
Show comments
Read more about Jason Leitch Rugby Union
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool31282170214986
2Manchester CityMan City31203877334463
3Leicester CityLeicester31167859293055
4Chelsea31166955411454
5Manchester UnitedMan Utd321410851312052
6Wolverhampton WanderersWolves321313645341152
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs31129105041945
8Burnley32136133645-945
9Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd31111193031-144
10Arsenal31101384341243
11Crystal Palace32119122837-942
12Everton31118123846-841
13Southampton32124164155-1440
14Newcastle UnitedNewcastle31109122942-1339
15Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton32712133444-1033
16Watford32610162949-2028
17West Ham UnitedWest Ham3176183554-1927
18Bournemouth3176182950-2127
19Aston Villa3276193660-2427
20Norwich CityNorwich3156202556-3121
Scroll for more - Tap for full version

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
UC
Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool31282170214986
2Manchester CityMan City31203877334463
3Leicester CityLeicester31167859293055
4Chelsea31166955411454
5Manchester UnitedMan Utd321410851312052
6Wolverhampton WanderersWolves321313645341152
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs31129105041945
8Burnley32136133645-945
9Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd31111193031-144
10Arsenal31101384341243
11Crystal Palace32119122837-942
12Everton31118123846-841
13Southampton32124164155-1440
14Newcastle UnitedNewcastle31109122942-1339
15Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton32712133444-1033
16Watford32610162949-2028
17West Ham UnitedWest Ham3176183554-1927
18Bournemouth3176182950-2127
19Aston Villa3276193660-2427
20Norwich CityNorwich3156202556-3121
Scroll for more - Tap for full version
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
X

We value your privacy

A part of our GDPR compliance we need to ask for your consent. We and our partners use technology such as cookies on Sports Mole to personalise content and ads, provide social media features, and analyse our traffic. Click below to consent to the use of this technology on Sports Mole.