Flouting of coronavirus rules is yet more bad press for Scottish football

"I hope you can hear in my voice how disappointed I was yesterday," said Leitch. 

Any member of the Tartan Army member who has been to watch Scotland play abroad in the last decade will know that mindset. 

Scottish football hit the front pages yet again today after Celtic’s second choice left back, Boli Bolingoli, took a secret trip to Spain without telling the club.

He also didn’t self-isolate before appearing as an 87th minute substitute against Kilmarnock at the weekend.

If you’ve seen Bolingoli play then you may be forgiven for thinking that he simply went to Spain to collect one of his passes, but his transgression - coming just four days after Aberdeen were forced to postpone a game because eight of their players went to a pub to celebrate only losing 1-0 to Rangers - raises further questions about why those involved in Scottish football cannot abide by the rules and regulations that everyone else has had to stick to these past few months.

During her press conference the First Minister said that Celtic and Aberdeen should not expect to play any football in the next week, leading some Dons fans to query if they have actually played any real football in the last 18 months under Derek McInnes anyway. 

What’s interesting is that Celtic are due to play KR Reijkavik in the Champions League first qualifying round on Tuesday 18th.

Does Bolingoli’s unsanctioned trip mean that Neil Lennon’s side have to withdraw from Europe faster than Boris Johnson would’ve ever dreamed?

A pause of all Scottish football was mooted by the governing bodies but with Aberdeen and Motherwell also facing European ties in the next fortnight, not to mention a huge Nations League play off for the national team against Israel on 4th September, this could have had a disastrous effect on our game.

Instead, both Celtic and Aberdeen have had their next two games postponed.

That’s led to many fans asking why when surely the teams caught breaking the rules should have to forfeit their games and the points to be awarded to their opponent. 

A good idea in principle but Celtic were due to play Aberdeen on Saturday. Where would the points go in that situation? 

Thankfully I’ve come up with a common sense solution. 

In future, any teams guilty of protocol breaches enter players to compete on The Ninja Warrior UK course. Whoever completes the course in the fastest time gets the three points for their team. 

The big difference here is that instead of competing over water, our players compete over Irn Bru. Get Barr’s involved and we’ll call it Ginger Warrior. 

I’ve just made that TV show up and yet it’s still got more chance of getting a sponsorship deal than the SPFL does for our national league.

That programme might be all the fans at home get to enjoy in the next few months if these rule breaks continue.

The First Minister today awarded Scottish football a “yellow card” with the next transgression certain to result in a suspension of all football. 

Fans were overjoyed to hear just a month ago that they may be allowed back into stadiums by the 14th September, a date that now looks increasingly unrealistic.

Once again it is the supporters who pay their hard earned money to the clubs they adore that are being punished.

The continual flouting of coronavirus protocol is yet more bad press for Scottish football after the shambolic court case around relegation that took what felt like an eternity to finalise. 

It does seem like the only positive thing about the sport in the last couple of months was two of the Aberdeen’s players coronavirus test results.

So, for Celtic and Aberdeen fans there will be no football to watch this week but at least they can look forward to the moment Boli Bolingoli calls a press conference in his garden to tell the media he only went to Spain to check his own eyesight.

Ray Bradshaw is a comedian and co-host of the Soccer FM podcast.