Scottish FA may make some staff redundant amid £4.5m shortfall

Scotland v Czech RepublicSNS

Scotland's recent matches have been played without supporters

The Scottish FA is facing a £4.5m shortfall that could lead to "redundancies ", says Ian Maxwell.

The chief executive has told staff the governing body is "considering restructuring" in an attempt "to future-proof the national association".

Scotland's four Hampden matches in recent months and the weekend's Scottish Cup semi-finals were played behind closed doors amid Covid-19.

"Scottish football has no immunity to the virus," said Maxwell.

"And this applies to the governing body as it does to our member clubs.

"In recent months the Scottish FA has endured a significant loss of revenue due, in the main, to international and Scottish Cup matches being played behind closed doors."

Glasgow - in keeping with the rest of the central belt - is in tier 3 of the Scottish government's new tiered system of coronavirus restrictions. Only regions in tier 1, such as the Highlands and Islands, are permitted to have a small number of fans inside stadiums.

Last month, the Scottish FA took out a £5m business interruption loan from the UK government.

"While this loan has helped absorb the losses sustained, nonetheless a loan is by definition repayable," Maxwell explained.

"We have announced to our staff that we are considering restructuring across the organisation which could lead to redundancies in order to future-proof the national association for the challenges ahead on and off the field.

"While this is hugely regrettable, it is the only way to safeguard the founding principle of the Scottish FA to protect our national game.

"We understand how difficult a situation this will be for our staff and we endeavour to undertake this process with due consideration and empathy throughout this unsettling time."