Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy has said today’s football fans are “paying for the sins” of the 1980s as he announced a consultation on alcohol sales at grounds.
A meeting will be held at Hampden on Friday to allow the party to gauge views, with representatives from the Scottish Football Association (SFA), football clubs and Police Scotland invited to attend.
The SFA has already been consulting with fans on the issue of whether alcohol should be sold at stadiums during matches and will also seek to gauge the views of the public and non-football fans.
Police Scotland Chief Constable Sir Stephen House said he would be “extremely concerned” at any proposal to change the law, but that if a consultation finds public support for the idea police would enter into formal discussions with the footballing authorities.
Mr Murphy said football supporters should not be treated differently from rugby fans at Murrayfield, where drinking is permitted.
The MP said: “In a country where rugby fans can rightly drink and corporate hospitality football fans can rightly drink, today’s generation of football supporters are paying for the sins and the crimes of Scottish football fans from 1980.
“I think we should stop criminalising football fans and stop treating them as uniquely incapable of drinking in moderation and enjoying a sporting occasion.”
The MP said the attitude towards football fans in Scotland had a degree of “a kind of class prejudice”.
Celtic fan Mr Murphy, who is teetotal, said: “As someone who loves football and who wants to keep football what it has become – a family sport – I think we should try the careful introduction of drinking alcohol in football stadia and listen to football’s opinion.
“It’s about treating football fans as adults and, done properly, it can improve the experience of the stands. This can’t and shouldn’t be driven by a desire of football clubs to boost their income or fleece supporters.
“We are going to do a really comprehensive consultation, initially with football supporters and finally with people who live near football grounds, for example.”
The alcohol ban was initially imposed following a riot at the 1980 Scottish Cup final between Rangers and Celtic but alcohol can be served in corporate hospitality areas of football stadiums.
Sir Stephen has written about the issue in a letter to SNP MSP George Adam, who is campaigning for the ban to be lifted.
He wrote: “You are quite correct when you say I would be extremely concerned with any proposal to amend legislation in respect of alcohol at football grounds in Scotland.”
He said that police have asked footballing authorities to conduct an independent public consultation on the issue.
Sir Stephen wrote said: “If the outcome of the consultation is that the public support the idea then we will of course enter into formal discussions with the footballing authorities.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The vast majority of football fans in Scotland are well behaved, and a credit to their clubs, but the current policy on alcohol at football grounds was introduced for good reasons and the view of the police is that it should remain in place.
“Groups offering support to victims of domestic violence also strongly support the policy remaining as it is, given the marked increase in domestic abuse incidents which has been recorded in relation to some football matches.
“Having stadiums as alcohol-free zones has helped Scottish football to become the family-friendly experience it is for so many people today, and it is important not to jeopardise or undermine that success story.”
The head of the SFA has called for the sale of alcohol at grounds to be allowed.
Scottish Conservative chief whip John Lamont said: “It’s flattering that Jim Murphy has caught up with us on this, 18 months after we first proposed it.
“We’ve surveyed every senior club in Scotland and the vast majority support plans to bring alcohol back to the football in a responsible manner.
“It’s unfair that fans of Scottish football are treated in this way, when other sports and football fans around the world are not.”