UEFA have taken the first steps towards playing fixtures behind closed doors after lifting the ban on broadcasting matches at 3pm on a Saturday in Scotland and England.

Around a quarter of the SPFL campaign is still to be fulfilled after football was postponed indefinitely in the wake of the outbreak of coronavirus.

Some have suggested that the remaining games could be played in empty stadiums as a way to finish the season, and the recent development from European football's governing body would suggest that this is an avenue that clubs in Scotland and England are willing to explore.

The Scottish FA and the FA requested that the media blackout be lifted for the remainder of the season and that application has been granted.

A statement published by UEFA read: "Uefa has lifted the 'blocked hours' protection granted to England and Scotland for the remainder of the 2019-20 season following requests from the relevant national associations as a result of measures taken in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic."

The ban on broadcasting matches at 3pm was first introduced as a way of incentivising supporters to attend matches rather than simply watching them at home, so the decision from UEFA appears to suggest that this is no longer a concern - which opens up the possibility of games being played behind closed doors.