OGREN JOINS CALLS FOR DRINKS BAN TO BE LIFTED

Dundee United owner Mark Ogren has joined calls for a review on Scottish football’s alcohol ban as the financial impact of Covid-19 begins to take grip.

United are part of fiveteam consortium that have called for a “strategic and holistic” financial review of the SPFL.

Ogren has teamed up with fellow American owners Tim Keyes at Dundee, Ron Gordon of Hibernian, Atlanta-based Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack and Hearts. Financial giants Deloitte have been commissioned by the clubs to try to grow overall income for the league and the study is likely to look into a removal of the alcohol ban which has been in place since 1981. Gordon has already made calls for clubs to be permitted to sell alcohol and now Ogren has echoed the Hibs owner’s thoughts. Speaking to a national newspaper, he said: “I would like to see alcohol served at matches. “I know people will be reading this and saying ‘Does Mr Ogren not understand why we can’t have alcohol at these matches?’

“That happened 40 years ago. People have to take responsibility for themselves. Give us a chance to show we can do it better.

“I truly believe we can and, yes, there might be some isolated incidents, but we will deal with them. “If clubs can’t control their grounds on game day then something should happen, but we should give everybody another chance.

“I think everybody could have a bit more fun and it would also allow clubs to be a bit more financially viable. Everybody would get more out of it.” Meanwhile, Ogren insists the clubs will not be calling for a bigger percentage of the revenue generated by Scottish football.

Deloitte’s findings are unlikely to be published for at least six months. Ogren added: “I don’t think anyone who is involved or will be talked to in this review will say they want a bigger piece of the pie. “That is not the intention. What we want to do is grow the pie. When we analysed things it wasn’t just for Dundee United, but for the whole of Scottish football.”