ALLOA Athletic chairman Mike Mulraney has accused the ban on fans in stadiums of being "politically" motivated and not "clinical".

The Wasps supremo and Scottish FA vice president hit out at First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for delaying the return of supporters to next year.

Mulraney, who last week outlined his belief fans could be socially distanced inside stadiums, said he believed there was less risk in a football ground than on an aeroplane.

READ MORE: Alloa Athletic chairman Mike Mulraney wants to see fans in Recs

"I heard Jason Leitch [Scotland's national clinical director] saying this was about choices," Mulraney said on BBC Sportsound. "Well, this is clearly a political choice and not a clinical one that we have had our fans restricted from accessing the game.

"The impact on Scottish football having no fans is much greater than any other league in Europe.

"We are really keen, understanding the great difficulties Nicola Sturgeon has got to weave her way through for the health of the nation. The pain to football is significant.

"The government has a very, very difficult path. Six hundred fans in a stadium that takes 60000, outside, all facing the same way, is probably far less risk than allowing people into a restaurant and an aeroplane.

"We've got to accept that is the current government position but I think it is fair that we ask them if that is in line with the current position on clubs in Europe

"I’m a layman, but I listen to the science and it does seem counter-intuitive.

"We can beam back a game and they can watch it in the pub but not outside in the terrace. I am not saying they have got it wrong, it must be incredibly difficult.

"But, I have a duty to try to protect our interests." 

In response to Mulraney, Professor Leitch said: “We reconsider it all the time. It is absolutely not a political decision, he is incorrect.

“It is a choice made by the clinicians and then the decision makers choose.

Alloa and Hillfoots Advertiser: First Minister Nicola Sturgeon First Minister Nicola Sturgeon

“You cannot open everything. Everybody who isn’t open wants open and who can blame them?

“If I ran a football club or a soft play or a casino or whatever I would want those things opened.

READ MORE: Alloa boss Peter Grant joins calls for welcome back supporters in Scotland

“You can’t have it all, that is the public health message, because then the virus would accelerate out of control.

“No country is back to normal, so you can’t be back to normal and therefore there are choices in there based on the clinical risk but also based on decision making.

“The decision makers have to choose inside a whole complex environment of clinical advice, economic advice, social advice, about what you can and can’t open."