Well that’s Season 21/22 up and running in style!  Three goals, three points and some mighty tired legs following our superb win against Cove Rangers. However, that was over a week ago and in the meantime we’ll have undertaken another trip North, this time to Inverness, and print deadlines dictate the outcome of that isn’t known at the time of writing!

In any event, no one is getting carried away whatever the outcome at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. Whilst results in the Premier Sports Cup matches are important in terms of momentum (and finance!), everything this season is focused on our SPFL2 programme with the obvious (and only) target of promotion in mind.

We remain largely exiled from Forthbank Stadium except for essential access but hopefully, as we head towards Level 0 in August, things will begin to get easier in terms of administration (everything is currently being done from home) and training (everyone turns up changed, with no indoor access).

Covid Protocols are an enormous challenge, with Lateral Flow Test 3 times per week which comes with the sizeable burden of reporting outcomes up the line to the SFA, SPFL and on match days, to our opposition. We have not been untouched by Covid within the playing squad but I’m sure fans will understand this is not something that we publicly broadcast the details of. What I can say, is that it shouldn’t be assumed that a player has contracted Covid because they are missing from the match day playing squad. We have adopted a strict no risk policy and anyone who doesn’t feel 100%, irrespective of a negative Lateral Flow Test, doesn’t attend training or a match until they have taken a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Test and received a negative result.

It should also be borne in mind that there will be instances of self-isolating due to being identified as a close contact outside of football, not to mention missing matches due to injury!

Everyone will be aware by now that we’ve limited attendance for our two home matches in the Premier Sports Cup to Season Ticket Holders only. I appreciate that will be disappointing to our non-season ticket holding supporters but the social distancing requirements in the stadium and behind the scenes for changing facilities continue to pose a major challenge and we took the decision to err on the side of caution, in the interest of everyone’s health and safety.  Whilst not the same as being in the ground, we are of course blessed with Ben McAdam’s SATV Live Streaming by way of compensation.

Please be assured that we will continue to review match day arrangements as more information becomes available from Scottish Government and the football authorities, with a view to increasing attendance as soon as it is safe to do so.

Thanks to everyone who has bought a Season Ticket and thanks to every other Bino supporter who hasn’t for their patience and understanding; I look forward to welcoming you all back, hopefully sooner rather than later!

C’mon the Binos!

Stuart