Wick Academy boss Gary Manson will not hold it against any player if they elect not to travel to Cowdenbeath on safety grounds.
The Caithness club face a 500-mile round-trip for the Scottish Cup first round tie on Boxing Day, on the same day a new national lockdown comes into force in Scotland.
Wick had requested the game to be moved to the 27th, which was knocked back by the Blue Brazil, or the 28th, with the latter being turned by the Scottish FA.
Manson put it to his players after the 3-1 win over Musselburgh Athletic on Monday night that it would be entirely their call whether they felt comfortable travelling to Fife.
It will mean an early-morning departure from the far north of Scotland, with players and staff likely not returning back home much before midnight.
Manson said: “I said to the boys, not just with Boxing Day, but with the Covid lockdown, anyone who is not comfortable travelling or has family commitments is completely up to them.
Full time after extra time – Wick Academy 3 Musselburgh Athletic 1.
— Wick Academy FC (@WickAcademyFC) December 21, 2020
“If they want to rule themselves out, I certainly won’t hold that against them. It’s unique circumstances at the moment and if they don’t feel comfortable, that’s up to them.”
Caithness has been in level one of the Scottish Government’s restrictions on Covid-19, however they and much of the Highlands will jump up to tier four as of Boxing Day.
That will also mean supporters, who had returned to Harmsworth Park, will again be locked out.
Manson, however, hopes his Wick players can use the circumstances as a galvanising factor, much in the same vein as their preliminary round opponents Musselburgh.
The game had been postponed three times due to a waterlogged pitch and Musselburgh were required to travel up to Wick on Monday evening.
Manson added: “I don’t know if Musselburgh are that fired up and angry normally, but they seemed to have that mentality on Monday night. I don’t know if that was came from having to travel up on a Monday.
“It might work in that regard for us. I would rather not travel on Boxing Day, but we have to get on with it. They are from the league above us and we’ve got to give them that respect.
“We’ll go down and give a good account of ourselves.”
Scottish Cup run akin to Europe for Highland League clubs – Wick Academy boss Gary Manson
