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SPFL: Lower-league clubs Cove Rangers and Peterhead support decision to keep playing and reject winter break

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Lower-league clubs in the SPFL will stick to their fixture schedules after voting against taking a break during fresh restrictions in Scotland.

Clubs in the Championship, League One and League Two all voted to continue playing after Tuesday’s announcement which saw their attendances capped at 500.

The three divisions do not have a winter break to factor in like the Premiership, but appear content they can cope for three weeks at reduced capacity.

Cove Rangers chairman Keith Moorhouse felt it was a “common sense” decision. The Aberdeen side are at home to East Fife on Boxing Day and head north to Peterhead to play the north-east derby on January 2.

He said: “The view was based on common sense. There was no point having a three-week break and then finding we can’t play.

Cove Rangers chairman Keith Moorhouse
Cove Rangers chairman Keith Moorhouse

“There’s not a massive amount to do (to comply with the new restrictions). We can have a maximum of 500 people at a one-metre distance and have got a limited number of tickets to sell.

“We just need to make sure the stewards are briefed that, when people are in the stadium, they need to be a metre apart.”

The choice available to the clubs was either to play or pause, with the common view being they should keep playing while they could.

As part of new SPFL guidance, clubs in the lower leagues have already agreed to daily testing and will see hospitality curbed after Boxing Day, with a maximum of three households per table and a seated capacity of 200.

Another mark on the horizon which Cove may be keeping an eye is the Scottish Cup fixture at Easter Road against Hibernian, which is due to take place on January 20 shortly after the three-week timeframe is due to expire.

Earlier in the day, Peterhead chairman Rodger Morrison indicated he would be happy to keep playing under the new restrictions, saying – while they were not ideal – it was manageable.

Peterhead chairman Rodger Morrison.
Peterhead chairman Rodger Morrison.

He said: “At least there is crowds, because I wouldn’t ever want to go back to playing with no crowds again. A crowd of 500 is not ideal, but we can live with that.

“Football survived and has got through everything so far, all the doom and gloom. There’s no doubt we’ll probably get through the next phase.

“I can quite understand it (using the winter break) at the Premiership level, but not at our level. I would rather try to get on with it.

“It’s not a big a hit as it could have been. Nowadays at our level, with all the games you have, it’s a real upset if they start closing down.”

Championship side Caley Thistle have three games over the festive period, starting with a home fixture against Partick Thistle on Boxing Day, followed by trips to Dunfermline and Arbroath on December 29 and January 2 respectively.

League Two side Elgin City do not play again until 2022, when they welcome Forfar to Borough Briggs in the new year.