Alex McLeish: Government must allow Hampden to roar during Euro finals

And I hope the Covid situation now doesn't deny them the chance to be at Hampden for the matches with Croatia and the Czech Republic as UEFA look for guarantees from the Government and the Scottish FA over Glasgow's place as a host city.

The situation regarding Hampden is concerning from a sporting perspective and it is no surprise that UEFA are seeking reassurances from the powers that be. A deadline has been set for next month and any cities that don't meet the criteria for allowing fans back into grounds face being cut from the list of hosts.

Scotland manager Steve Clarke

I sincerely hope that Hampden will be able to play its part in the Euros and we don’t want the impact of Covid to deny us that. If we don’t do the right things over the period of time until the Euros actually come around, or until a decision is made, then there is always that fear.

We have to be on our best behaviour and we don’t want to find ourselves in the situation where Hampden doesn’t get the games.

I don’t want to get into the politics of the situation but as football fans we will be disappointed if this decision goes against us. The Government run the rule here and it is a health issue before it is a sporting issue.

There are some things that we can argue and some that we can’t win the case on and there is no doubt that if the decision isn’t favourable then there will be fractures in those relationships.

It would be a cruel blow to Steve Clarke and the players and certainly to the Tartan Army as well. You can see the impact that no fans has had on teams throughout the pandemic and some sides have lost that edge playing in front of empty stands.

Lyndon Dykes of Scotland celebrates

The Tartan Army haven’t had something like this to look forward to for so long now and the world will be wanting to see the Scotland support at it is best. We would all love to see that and to see the Tartan Army supporting a successful Scotland side.

When the Euros were postponed last summer due to the pandemic, very few people would have thought that we would be in this situation all these months on. It is mind-boggling and so sad and frustrating.

The virus has continued to evolve and there are new strains and variants and we are still living under restrictions. It has looked for some time that the vaccine will be the savour and hopefully that is still the case.

At the moment, I would hope that the talk about not playing games at Hampden is just scaremongering and a ploy to keep us all on our toes to ensure we continue abiding by the rules.

Scotland manager Steve Clarke on the touchline

At the end of the day, it is probably above the head of the SFA and if the Government say that it is a no-go then that will be final unfortunately.

It is obvious that powerful voices matter, though, and Stevie Clarke, as Scotland manager, has a powerful voice. I am sure he will sit down with whoever he needs to and put forward a case if required but it will be a decision that is outwith his control. He will be in the talks if needed but that final decision will come from above.

When it comes to health, the Government has to do what they have to do and that has to always be the priority. That is a given and everyone will realise that.

But you can only hope that there will be a situation where the crowds can be back at games sooner rather than later. I don’t think we will see a 50,000 sell-out at Hampden with the way that things are going unfortunately though.

The decision has to be made at the last minute possible to give Glasgow every chance to prove that it can host these fixtures. As football people, we will always make the case for it because it is our livelihood, our raison d'être, and we must do everything we can here.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon

The Scotland fans have been building up to this tournament for so long and the governing bodies that make these decisions have to do everything they can to make it happen.

We know it probably won’t be full houses but we need the approval of the Government and the SFA to make sure that can abide by the guidelines that UEFA have set out.

In terms of the revenue that it will bring to Glasgow and Scotland, of course there is a compelling case for having these fixtures at Hampden. And there is the huge boost that it will give to the morale of the nation as well.

But the health consideration has to be the most important one and that will be first and foremost I am sure.

Scotland's head coach Steve Clarke (centre right) embraces Andrew Robertson

I know there will be meetings ongoing over the next few weeks and hopefully by the time a decision has to be made Scotland will be in a much better state thanks to the vaccine.

We will be governed by the scientists and the numbers of infections. It is all a numbers game. I am sure the Government won’t want to take a chance here.

For me, the only saviour I have seen for months now has been the vaccine because we have been in lockdown two or three times and it felt like it was back to the future every time. I always thought it wouldn’t start improving until the vaccine programme was rolled out and effective.

That could be the savour in terms of getting the Euros to Glasgow, but more importantly hopefully that is the savour in terms of Scotland moving out of this pandemic as quickly as possible.