SPFL chief voices 'huge concern' over vaccine passport checks

The head of Scotland's professional football league has said it will be "very difficult" to check that all fans attending games have a vaccine passport.

The SPFL's Neil Doncaster said the only way to make the scheme work would be to carry out spot checks to avoid lengthy queues and possible disorder.

His comments come as plans for vaccine passports in England were ditched.

The Scottish government's scheme is due to come into effect from 1 October.

Scotland's vaccine certification scheme means people over the age of 18 will need to show they have had both doses of a Covid vaccine before they are allowed entry to nightclubs and major events.

This includes outdoor events of more than 10,000, which will cover football matches involving larger clubs.

• Scotland to launch vaccine passports on 1 October

• What do we know about the vaccine passport?

• England vaccine passport plans ditched, Sajid Javid says

Mr Doncaster told BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show that the SPFL was "hugely concerned" about the practicalities of delivering the scheme.

The football executive said blanket inspections of vaccine certification would risk "disorder" as frustrated fans turned up for games ahead of kick-off.

He added: "I think it can work, but I think spot-checking is frankly the only practical reality because if you are expecting football clubs to vaccine-passport-check 30,000 or 40,000 people in the minutes before kick-off, that's simply not going to happen.

"I don't think it's achievable, realistically."

The vaccine passport plan was formally approved by Holyrood after the SNP and Scottish Greens voted in favour.

Some businesses have complained of a lack of detail about how the scheme will work in practice.

The proposals were opposed by the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats at Holyrood.

But Deputy First Minister John Swinney said the system would reduce the risk of virus transmission and help prevent venues - many of which have only recently reopened - from having to close again due to Covid.

'Rethink needed'

It comes as it was announced by UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid that the scheme for vaccine passports for entry to nightclubs and large events in England will not go ahead.

Prof Stephen Reicher of St Andrews University, who is a member of the Scottish government's Covid-19 advisory group, tweeted that he thought this was the right decision.

He added: "They are a double-edged sword. Passports accelerate uptake in the willing but accentuate opposition in the sceptical."

Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP called on the Scottish government to follow the UK government's lead and drop its plans.

He said: "The solution to the current crisis is vaccinations and a functioning contact tracing system, not Covid ID cards.

"You shouldn't have to share your private medical information with someone who is not your clinician."

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross added: "Vaccine passports have been examined as a potential safeguard against another damaging lockdown or fresh restrictions.

"But they are a major intervention for business sectors which are only just starting to get on their feet.

"The SNP should reflect on their half-baked plans that only passed in Holyrood with the votes of SNP and Green politicians."