91Èȱ¬

The Scottish government has been urged to work with football authorities to help the game "move the nation forward" throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Former first minister Henry McLeish is also calling on the Scottish FA and SPFL to show their "mettle" and provide leadership in the coming weeks.

Nicola Sturgeon has warned mass gatherings in Scotland could be off for the next four months.

"I believe we could do a lot more," McLeish told 91Èȱ¬ Scotland.

"This is probably the worst [outbreak] in the post-war period, it's unprecedented in so many different ways. The important point for all of us is that it's about health, and sadly it could be about death for many people in Scotland and throughout the United Kingdom.

"Against that, football has to play its part in moving the country forward.

"It's not just clubs, it's youngsters playing in academies, in schools, throughout the country, and a lot of that will disappear in the near future. This is not just impacting the big league clubs, it affects the whole of Scotland. Most families, most parents, most children. That's why we have to take this wider view.

"The government, the football authorities and the wider sporting communities, why can't we get together and accept this just isn't for four or eight weeks, this could potentially be for months and months ahead."

Partick Thistle chief executive Gerry Britton told 91Èȱ¬ Scotland on Sunday he feared some clubs "could go under" because of the potential financial strain from the outbreak, while Scottish Rugby has opened up a £500,000 hardship fund to support clubs.

McLeish, 71, who published a two-part review of Scottish football in 2010, says that despite the sport in Scotland "not being awash" with money, the game must act to "limit the damage" caused in the coming weeks and months.

"Setting aside the bigger consequences for the country, this is an absolutely vital point. My concern is clubs, especially in League One and League Two, they don't compete every week for success, they are doing it for survival.

"Finances are very tight and my real fear if this is a prolonged crisis is a lot of those clubs will be in dire financial straits. It could wipe out clubs.

"I suspect the two football authorities will have to look at some kind of funding. In each community they will try and help themselves. My own club, East Fife, has a tremendous history but dwindling gates. They have to be looked after like other clubs over a period, and that means the SPFL dipping into their own pockets to create this fund, and through other areas like crowd funding, we have to try and get a way forward.

"There are going to be many tragedies ahead, but it would be a real one if lack of thought in Glasgow meant some of our smaller clubs bit the dust after over 100 years of history.

"That might pale into insignificance when relevant to the wider health issues effecting people, but in football, there is much the game could do to help itself, and it may well be the government may want to step in at a low level to see what we can do."

He added: "This is not a time for circling the wagons, this is not a time for any of the leagues taking umbrage at what is happening. This is time for the SFA to show real mettle, and the SPFL, and get everyone together.

"If we can do that, the damage may be limited. If we don't, the damage will be much, much worse."