STEVEN NAISMITH admits he fears for the future of Scottish football as the Coronavirus crisis threatens the existence of SPFL clubs.
The Hearts captain has agreed to take a 50 per cent wage cut to ease the financial burden at Tynecastle but the Jambos still face a fight for survival in the coming months.
And with no end to the Covid-19 pandemic in sight, clubs across the country could quickly find themselves in real difficulty if matches cannot be played and prize money isn't distributed as quickly as possible.
Naismith said: “You talk about the football family and it’s so true. In my lifetime there’s never been as big a crisis for Scottish football to deal with. All the side agendas need to be put aide to get through this.
“To keep the foundation of the league’s quality, why it’s the biggest sport in Scotland. That needs to come from everyone in football working together and appreciating we are all in this together.
“We don’t know how long this is going to go on. The biggest thing is about people’s health and wellbeing and then saving staff, players, clubs – everything – as much as possible.
“Give them a bit of relief under these extremely tough situations we’re in.
“You fear for the game in Scotland otherwise. It’s so uncertain in terms of how long it’ll last, where clubs’ revenue will come from.
“But I think through these boards and the relevant people who make the calls in Scotland it can be a great opportunity for so many other things, whether it’s short-term decisions on this season, league formats.
“It can be an opportunity as much as it’s a tough time but we need clear direction and leadership that’s going to give us that best chance to come out of this in a good place with a business model that gives lots of entertainments for generations to come.”
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