Ross County chairman Roy MacGregor says the Covid-19 pandemic is continuing to have a substantial financial impact on the Staggies.
The decision to bring forward the winter break saw County’s home matches against Motherwell and Aberdeen postponed.
Scottish clubs are still awaiting an update on whether they will be allowed to accommodate more than 500 fans at games when matches restart next week.
MacGregor says testing alone cost the Staggies £250,000 last season, at a time when games were played behind closed doors.
The Staggies chairman says the Covid measures put in place are continuing to come at a cost.
MacGregor said: “The cost of it has been pretty astronomical – our testing bill last year was around £250,000.
“It is probably harder to determine the overall cost of Covid on the club, taking into account restrictions on spectator numbers and on hospitality.
“It is quite difficult to put a figure on it, but it is substantial. That could run into seven figures since the start of the pandemic.
“If you take us losing the Aberdeen game on January 2, that alone probably cost the club £80,000.
“Aberdeen’s allocation was virtually sold out, we were sold out with hospitality, and – when we play the game on the Tuesday night on February 2 – we will not get those numbers in hospitality or the 2,500 fans travelling from Aberdeen.
“There is still a fear among people of coming back to football. We’ve noticed only about 75% of our season ticket holders are coming to games. There is an uncertainty there, health-wise.
“That’s going to take a wee while to work through and will depend also on the government’s attitude in the next round of decisions on numbers allowed into games.”
Booster vaccination being rolled out across Staggies squad
County’s squad have all been double vaccinated, with efforts well under way to roll out the booster across Malky Mackay’s squad.
Although players are taking lateral flow tests each day, MacGregor says the Dingwall club intend to continue carrying out PCR tests.
He added: “We are still testing every week, as well as lateral flows every day.
“We realise in this part of the country we have to travel every week. We stay in a hotel before away games.
“As a club we are exposed greatly to this, because players are sometimes here without their families.
“We are more exposed, so have tried to make sure that bubble is more enclosed.
“Every player has had two injections. About 10 of them have had the booster, but I think by early February we will all have had three jags.
“We will still probably PCR them once a week just to be safe.”
‘I hope crowds will get back in’
MacGregor is retaining an optimistic attitude over the prospect of County being able to accommodate more than 500 supporters when they return to action at home to Motherwell next Tuesday.
He added: “I’m hopeful that we will get more supporters back when the games start. Whether it will be enough to satisfy everyone I don’t know.
“We will just do as much as we can.
“I hope crowds will get back in. I see a different tone since New Year on how we deal with the Omicron variant. That’s from national government.
“There has been a difference between the Scottish government, where we have been a bit behind and a bit more cautious. Maybe rightly, but I think there’s a feeling now that lockdowns are not the way to go.
“We are hearing words in rugby circles, where if they don’t want the game at Murrayfield they will put it to Newcastle to show the approach in Scotland is not consistent.
“Clubs and individuals are maybe saying we are going to have to live with this and deal with Covid – we are better just getting on and doing it.”
"It’s one thing to let just 500 into Bellslea Park in Fraserburgh – and then insist on the same limit being placed in an all-seater stadium such as Pittodrie or Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership," writes @PJ_PThird.https://t.co/htrRjMvQkX
— P&J Opinion (@PJOpinion) January 10, 2022
