The First Minister discussed the potential October return date and admits that no decision has been made.
Nicola Sturgeon has dealt Scottish football fans' hopes of getting back into football stadiums early a major blow.
A provisional date of October has been pencilled in although Celtic hope to get supporters in for the first game of the season.
Aberdeen have also detailed their hopes of getting a limited crowd of 7500 back into Pittodrie as well while potential test events will be held by Celtic and the SRU.
But the First Minister insists no decision has been announced yet and Professor Jason Leitch was purely attempting to temper expectations when he discussed an October date.
Sturgeon said: “Football with crowds has not been pencilled in for October. We haven’t taken that decision yet.
“Jason was simply trying to find a way of saying, ‘Don’t assume it will be October when we get crowds back’.
“So do not take from this that we have given football an October provisional date for crowds being back. That’s not the case and actually I don’t think it’s a fair interpretation of what Jason actually said.”
Leitch revealed he had held further talks with the SFA and SPFL in recent days and had spoken about a potential October date, but he insists that it won't be soon that there are full stadiums.
And he also told clubs not to bank on October as a certain date for return.
Professor Jason Leitch said: “We cannot predict when crowds will be back. I can predict that it will not be soon, it will be phased.
“I had another conversation yesterday with the leadership of the SFA and the SPFL, the club leadership along with some colleagues and I have suggested in media in the last two or three days, perhaps October. I would maybe pencil that into your calendar but I certainly wouldn’t write over it in pen.”
Nicola Sturgeon has dealt Scottish football fans' hopes of getting back into football stadiums early a major blow.
A provisional date of October has been pencilled in although Celtic hope to get supporters in for the first game of the season.
Aberdeen have also detailed their hopes of getting a limited crowd of 7500 back into Pittodrie as well while potential test events will be held by Celtic and the SRU.
But the First Minister insists no decision has been announced yet and Professor Jason Leitch was purely attempting to temper expectations when he discussed an October date.
Sturgeon said: “Football with crowds has not been pencilled in for October. We haven’t taken that decision yet.
“Jason was simply trying to find a way of saying, ‘Don’t assume it will be October when we get crowds back’.
“So do not take from this that we have given football an October provisional date for crowds being back. That’s not the case and actually I don’t think it’s a fair interpretation of what Jason actually said.”
Leitch revealed he had held further talks with the SFA and SPFL in recent days and had spoken about a potential October date, but he insists that it won't be soon that there are full stadiums.
And he also told clubs not to bank on October as a certain date for return.
Professor Jason Leitch said: “We cannot predict when crowds will be back. I can predict that it will not be soon, it will be phased.
“I had another conversation yesterday with the leadership of the SFA and the SPFL, the club leadership along with some colleagues and I have suggested in media in the last two or three days, perhaps October. I would maybe pencil that into your calendar but I certainly wouldn’t write over it in pen.”