Glenafton Athletic boss Craig McEwan says his background in the healthcare sector means he is all too aware of the consequences of clubs not following guidance.

McEwan, who is a senior manager for health recruitment consultancy Search, has been working throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and says he has been “living and breathing” the tragedy that has unfolded.

Glenafton have returned to training in recent weeks with boss McEwan ensuring that the club adhere to every guideline to ensure a safe return.

He told the Chronicle: “It’s been really tough in terms of planning and organising the return of training.

“I have had to split the squad into two and each night we have to split those groups further due to the guidelines and we are not allowed contact training.

“The boys are only training once a week in their groups but we will look to ramp that up soon.

“Despite not having the full squad together it has allowed us to focus more on individuals.

“I have tried to make it more fun in the sessions to keep the guys ticking over. We did not want to bombard them.

“It’s great we have a projected start date but it is changing daily. I work within the health sector so I can see how it changes even on an hourly basis. Just look at the situation with Aberdeen. We need to learn the lessons from that.

“It’s important we adhere to the guidelines.

“I see it on a daily basis and I am fortunate in the sense that I understand the consequences of not doing these things correct. I have been living and breathing this tragedy that has been happening in the country for the past four of five months so I am more aware of the guidance.

“The players have been terrific and they understand why we are doing it and it is for their own safety.

“It’s been a bit stop start for them but it the right way to do it.”

He added: “Players safety and their families is paramount. If we don’t do it right you could see it spiral out of control and we will be waiting longer to play matches and its not going to help anyone.”