When Hearts, Hibs and Edinburgh City could be back in action - the two options for the new Scottish football season

The earliest fans are likely to see their team in action is August

Football in Scotland is unlikely to be played before August. Picture: SNS

There won’t be any football played in Scotland until August at the earliest making it difficult to complete the current season ahead of the 2020/2021 campaign.

The SPFL have advised member clubs that there are not enough fixture dates in the calendar to fit in both the conclusion of the postponed season and the entirety of the following one, according to STV.

The governing body are keen to terminate the league season now as per the resolution they put forward to the 42 clubs last week.

If it is passed the Championship, League One and League Two would be declared on a points per game basis with Dundee United, Raith Rovers and Cove Rangers crowned champions of their respective divisions with Partick Thistle and Stranraer consigned to demotion.

The proposal would also see the Scottish Premiership follow suit if deemed possible by Uefa. In turn, Hearts would also be demoted unless there is league reconstruction.

Both Hearts chairman Ann Budge and Hibs’ CEO Leeann Dempster have expressed their view that football is unlikely to be played until August or September.

Any new season, including the Betfred Cup group stages fixtures which act as a forerunner to the league campaign, would unlikely be up and running before August.

According to STV, if the current term was to finish and all fixtures played it would mean the start of the 2020/2021 season would be pushed back to mid-September.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there can’t be any certainty with a date when football will return.

In Austria, the Government has given permission for the clubs to begin training in small groups of six as of Monday.