That old adage about football being more important than life or death? It's not.

Mulraney insists the scale of pandemic makes infighting over titles irrelevant

- GARY RALSTON

THE howls of derision over the award of trinkets and baubles will soon be silenced when the sobering reality of coronavirus grips.

Alloa chairman Mike Mulraney, part of the four-man Joint Response Group, has told Scottish football fans he understands their angst and frustration.

But the decisions made by the group, established last month by the SFA and SPFL, will soon be seen in a chilling context as UK citizens finally understand the seriousness of the virus in our midst.

On Friday the Joint Response Group suspended all football until further notice, including grassroots games, and now the SPFL are preparing to announce before the end of the month the season officially over.

League positions are set to stand, which means nine in a row for Celtic, promotion for Dundee United and relegation for Hearts.

The Jambos have already hinted at legal action, Rangers fans are outraged because Celtic could still have officially been caught, while sides in the play-off hunt – including Mulraney’s own club – are left with a souvenir of might-have-beens.

It’s anticipated Scottish football will not restart until September at the earliest, with coronavirus set to hit its peak in the UK in mid-June before being brought under control three months later.