Thousands Of Fans But Numbers Don't Add Up For Buddies

Supporters set to fill the stadium but Saints will be struggling to fill bench

- Fraser Wilson

Covid-struck St Mirren were left hanging by SPFL chiefs last night after making a last-ditch plea for tonight's Premiership clash with Celtic to be postponed.

The Buddies want their Old Firm double-header that includes a Boxing Day trip to face Rangers pulled after reporting another positive case in their squad yesterday - with further close contacts identified off that.

Saints shut down their training base yesterday and immediately contacted the SPFL stating they had fewer than the required 13 players available to fulfil the fixture. But league chiefs last night booted their request to cancel the fixtures into touch.

They say so long as enough of the close contacts receive negative tests back from the lab this morning then the will go game ahead. But Saints say they won't know for days the results of the most recent PCR tests.