The shutout of fans in Zalaegerszeg means the Tartan Army will only be able to follow their team in two away matches during the World Cup qualifying campaign – the group opener against Denmark in Copenhagen on 5 September and the penultimate match against Greece on 15 November.

“It’s almost like the Scotland fans have been punished in some way,” said John Bleasdale of The Tartan Army Magazine.

“But you could argue that the Belarusian fans have been punished for something outside their control as well.

“It’s a real difficult situation where the fans have to lose, unfortunately.

“You want to see football played in front of supporters. No matter how hostile the crowd is, it adds to the atmosphere and it will be almost like a training ground environment.

“From a Scotland point of view, obviously the Scotland fans are like the 12th man. The Tartan Army, they give them a big lift. So that will be a blow.

“On the flip side, you could say they’re not facing a hostile home crowd. The Belarusians are known for creating a hostile environment. So the fact they won’t have that will probably be an advantage to us.

“When we played Serbia a few years ago, we actually thrived on no fans being there, so I think if anything, it could be a help, although it will be a shame that the Tartan Army can’t be there.”