Coleraine put in an impossible situation says Colin McKendry

The club chairman was left "astounded" as he received the news on his arrival at the ground, just over 90 minutes before the first match of the new Irish Premiership season.

Fans too were already making their way into the Showgrounds when the news broke that supporters were not permitted to attend elite sports matches under the new Covid-19 regulations from the Northern Ireland Executive.

Board members anxiously convened to try and understand what it meant for the game due to kick-off the new Danske Bank Premiership season.

After seeking guidance with the PSNI and the footballing bodies Showgrounds officials agreed a decision to remove fans and prevent others entering the ground at that stage would have endangered public safety.

This opening fixture had been weeks in the planning by the Bannsiders and chairman McKendry cut an extremely frustrated figure before kick-off.

He was left to question why a decision, which had such far-reaching ramifications, was made so late in the day.

"I think it is treating people in general with contempt," he said.

"This decision, if it had to be made, it should have happened at the start of the week.

"It would have saved us all an awful lot of time and money.

"It's not a difficult decision, you either do it or you don't.

"You're going to disappoint people, but if you do it on Monday morning they would have been over it by now.

"We had children and adults turning up here excited about watching a game of football, then all of a sudden you have government leaders saying you can't bring people in.

"I think we're showing leadership as a football club. I cannot put fans out of this ground.

"We have been put in an impossible position through lack of leadership."

With fans gathering outside and inside the ground ahead of kick-off McKendry said the decision was made to allow them entry to ensure public safety.

"I've been dealing with a number of people since I came here tonight and so far I don't think anything has been passed as law," he said.

"I think I'd be breaking the law if I locked those gates out there and told the stewards to keep people outside, because that would become a public order offence, and in my opinion I would be breaking the law then.

"I'm acting for the safety of people. That's what we have done as a club.

"We met as a board and I said open the gates because I didn't want public health and safety issues arising outside the gate.

"I made the decision to continue to let people in, if I'm held to task for that then so be it.

"I will openly state that we have not been given guidance prior to fans being in this ground."

The NIFL Board convened an urgent meeting immediately after receipt of the letter from the Sports Minister with a full statement expected later this evening.

A holding statement confirmed spectators were stopped from attending sporting events and align the sector with health regulations with immediate effect.

McKendry said he understood NIFL's position but added he felt let down by government.

"Astounded would be the word I would use," he continued.

"I feel sorry for the football people. I've sat in meetings until after midnight this week trying to get football arranged with members of my board.

"We really went the extra mile. We couldn't have done any more to ensure the safety of fans.

"To arrive here and get a call from the Chief Executive of the Irish FA at three minutes past six to inform me that he received a letter from the Minister to say there was to be no fans was crazy.

"But I was driving in and there were already fans milling about the ground, there was a sea of eventsec stewards who we had asked for to make sure we had the correct personnel to follow the protocols.

"The NIFL board took the correct decision in my opinion to announce that there would be no fans at games this weekend.

"But for me what am I meant to do with those fans who are already in the ground?

"I'm personally not going to go and put them out of the ground.

"The police put it over to ourselves to ensure there is social distancing.

"This is extremely poor leadership from our government officials to allow Coleraine Football Club to spend the money they have spent to get to this point only to tell them an hour and a half before kick off that there's no fans allowed.

"I know personally there was supporters coming from Enniskillen tonight.

"We have done everything by the letter of the law and I feel extremely let down."