AN exasperated Nicola Sturgeon has responded to reports that Rangers players breached Covid rules by attending a party that was broken up by police.
The First Minister pleaded with elite sportspeople to obey lockdown restrictions as she spoke at her coronavirus briefing.
Police Scotland confirmed that 10 people were issued with fixed penalty notices after a gathering in Glasgow in the early hours of Sunday, with reports online claiming people in attendance included Rangers players.
The club has announced it is investigating the matter.
READ MORE: Rangers probe potential Covid-19 rule breach after party in Glasgow
Sturgeon commented: “I tell you, sometimes I feel that it is taking me all my power to stand here and not use expletives whenever I get asked about football again.”
She explained she did not know all of the details yet but understood the club was looking into the reports.
The SNP leader continued: “But let me be clear, whenever football rears its head in this situation I get emails from people suggesting that I'm somehow partial in favour of or against one team or the other. That's not true. I don't care what club it is that breaching the rules, if you're breaching the rules you're in the wrong.
“It's really frustrating, not just to me or the government – I suppose that's not the most important thing but believe me it is really frustrating. But it's really unfair to the vast majority of people in the country who don't have the privileges that elite sports people have right now.
“When they see elite sports people breach these rules, and you know, let's also be frank, the vast majority are not, but when a small number do, then people think why am I bothering?”
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Sturgeon added: “So can I say to football and sport, generally, please make sure your house is in order because it shouldn't take me standing here to say to highly paid footballers that you've got to obey the rules. It really shouldn't take that, but the fact that it does is hugely frustrating to me and I don't care whether it's Celtic, Rangers, or any other club, it's not on, so please stop breaking the rules.”
The First Minister recently condemned Celtic players after the club’s highly controversial trip to Dubai.
Aberdeen players were also criticised by Sturgeon after eight players breached coronavirus restrictions by visiting a city centre bar together in August.
Commenting on the Celtic trip in January, the FM said: She said: “Elite sport, and this is not just about Celtic or football, has been in a privileged position at many points over the past year, doing things that the general public can’t do.
"We all want our sports teams and people to do well and be able to train properly, but as long as that’s the case it’s really important that they don’t abuse it, that they use it for the purpose it’s intended. And that applies to Celtic as it would to anybody else in that position.”
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