Celtic already have four league matches in hand to be played
The third round of the Scottish Cup has been postponed.
Ties were scheduled to be played on Saturday January 30 and Sunday January 31, but it was confirmed on Monday that these would be suspended.
The move comes as restrictions are tightened due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all Scottish football from the SPFL League One and below being shut down.
The suspension will add to Celtic’s fixture backlog, with the champions already having four games in hand on Rangers.
In a statement released on the official SFA website, SFA President Rod Petrie said: “
“The Scottish FA is well aware of the efforts all clubs take to comply with the exacting protocols that were conditional on elite football being given an exemption to continue amid the pandemic.
“None the less the continuation of football at all levels has weighed increasingly heavy on me as President, my colleagues on the board and the Joint Response Group as we have watched the new strain of the virus spread rapidly.
“While the national sport has been afforded the privilege of elite sporting exemption, the risk of mass transportation of untested, largely part-time players is something that cannot be sustained as the cases continue to rise and available hospital beds become increasingly scarce.
“After discussions with the SPFL, the Premiership and Championship will continue on the proviso that both adhere to the existing testing regime. The vast majority of teams in those divisions are full-time professional clubs and so the risk of transmission remains manageably low.
“The cost implications to lower-division clubs was one factor but so too the realisation that many – with some notable exceptions – consist of part-time players who are either prevented from working due to the virus or have to work.
“In either case, the risk is currently too great amid the developing nationwide spread of the virus.
“Much has been said of football’s relationship with the Scottish Government during the pandemic. As President of the Scottish FA and Chair of the Joint Response Group, I am grateful for the clinical expertise provided by government specifically to football and for the timely award of £30m in grant and loan funding for the game.
“We reiterate our commitment to playing our part in the collective effort to eradicate the virus.”
FULL LIST OF GAMES TO BE RESCHEDULED
Celtic v Arbroath or Falkirk
Dumbarton or Huntly v Aberdeen
Dundee UNited v partick Thistle or Cowdenbeath
Dundee v St Johnstone
East Fife v Greenock Morton or Dunfermline Athletic
Elgin City or Ayr United v Keith or Clyde
Forfar Athletic v Edinburgh City
Formartine United or Annan Athletic v Motherwell
Fraserburgh v Nairn Ciunty or Montrose
Hamilton Accies v St Mirren
Livingston v Stirling Albion or Raith Rovers
Peterhead or Stenhousemuir v Kilmarnock
Queen of the South v Hibernian
Rangers v Cove Rangers
Ross County v Buckie Thistle or Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Camelon v Brora Rangers has been given permission to go ahead tonight, with the winner facing Hearts in the second round.
The winner of that tie would then have a home tie in the third round against Stranraer.
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