Scottish Greens welcome scrapping of draconian football bus proposals
Scottish Greens have welcomed the scrapping of a “draconian” proposal that would have seen a raft of new rules brought in to control supporter buses. But they warned against the continued demonisation of football fans.
The proposals, which were condemned by the SFA, SPFL, SWPL, clubs and supporters were scrapped today due to the strength of opposition.
Scottish Greens spokesperson for sports, Gillian Mackay MSP, said:
“I’m delighted that these draconian proposals have been scrapped. But they should never have gone this far.
“A higher proportion of people attend football matches in Scotland than anywhere else in Europe. Our fans enjoy an international reputation for the support and atmosphere they bring. And where incidents occur, powers are already in place to deal with them.
“What these proposals would have accomplished is to put off supporters, damage clubs, and hurt local businesses who rely on the essential custom so many traveling fans bring.
“They were a solution in search of a problem. The vast majority of fans are law-abiding citizens who bring economic, social and cultural benefits to the areas they visit. Our fans should be celebrated, not criminalised. The attempts to unfairly demonise them must end.”