THE Tory party in Scotland has renewed calls for the ban on alcohol in Scottish football grounds to be lifted.
And the party claims to have the support of a majority of Scotland’s football clubs.
Having written to every professional football club in Scotland, the Scottish Conservatives claimed 88% of respondents said they were in favour of reversing the ban on a trial basis, with only two clubs expressing reservations.
The party is appealing for fans to be allowed to purchase alcohol in stadium bars before matches and during half-time, which is the case in England, Germany and Spain.
The calls come after research from supporters’ organisation Supporters Direct Scotland found 60% of Scottish football fans were in favour of lifting the ban.
“Supervised, responsible drinking happens in other sports in Scotland and with football in other countries,” said Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson.
“Are we really saying that Scottish football fans cannot be trusted?”
She added that alcohol sales could be “an important new revenue stream for Scottish clubs”.
When the issue was last raised, in May of last year, the SLTA strongly opposed lifting the ban.
Last week chief executive Paul Waterson reiterated the organisation’s position on BBC Radio Scotland.
