Hibs owner calls for end to football alcohol ban

● Us-based businessman says it is a financial penalty on the Scottish game

The Us-based businessman who has taken control of Hibs wants the alcohol ban lifted at Scottish football matches.

Club owner Ron Gordon said the ban was holding back clubs in Scotland and described the curb as a financial penalty on the game. He insisted football clubs should be allowed to show they could police alcohol use at matches.

Hibs new owner Ron Gordon has called for the 40-year ban on the sale of alcohol in Scottish football stadiums to be lifted, claiming it is a financial penalty on the game.

The Us-based businessman claimed the ban was holding back clubs in this country and revealed he would like to see the restrictions eased, claiming drink was sold “pretty much everywhere else” at sports events.

Mr Gordon, who addressed his first annual meeting of shareholders at Easter Road last night since buying the Edinburgh club from Sir Tom Farmer last summer, acknowledged that alcohol can bring problems in terms of trouble and bad behaviour.

But he insisted football clubs should be given the chance to reintroduce it and show how they could police the issue.

Mr Gordon, who has spent the past six months conducting a top-to-bottom review of how Hibs operate as a club before revealing his plans for the coming years, including doubling turnover by 2025, said: “The fact that we can’t sell beer is a major thing.

“They’re allowed in England, the United States, at rugby matches – pretty much everywhere else. It’s essentially a penalty on football.

“I don’t know what the best way to approach it is, but it’s on my list to see how we can move that. The clubs have a responsibility to see how they can police that and themselves, but they should be given a chance to get back to that.

“But the last thing we want is trouble and bad behaviour, which unfortunately happens with alcohol. England had the ban before, but have been able to grow out of it and I don’t see any reason why we can’t get the opportunity to grow out of it in Scotland. I’d love it to be trialled. It’s a big revenue stream. If we could do more, that would be phenomenal, but we’d have to get the league behind it and the government to give us a shot.

“I don’t know the mechanics, but that would be good. In a healthy way it can be part of the [match day] experience.”

In October 2018, the Scottish Football Association, Police Scotland and Scottish Government officials met to explore the idea of using the Euro 2020 matches at Hampden Park in Glasgow as a pilot.

As it stands, Glasgow would be the only one of 12 host cities where fans could not buy alcohol in the stadium.

The ban was initially imposed following a riot at the 1980 Scottish Cup final between Rangers and Celtic after the Parkhead side clinched the trophy, sparking shocking scenes which were broadcast around the world.

BBC commentator Archie Macpherson said at the time: “This is like a scene now out of Apocalypse Now.

“We’ve got the equivalent of Passchendaele and that says nothing for Scottish football.”

It means no alcohol can be served in football stadiums, although there is an exemption for corporate hospitality areas. Any change in Scotland would require government legislation.

European football governing body Uefa has relaxed its own rules on the sale of alcohol during its competitions.

Last night, a Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Decisions are informed by police and other key partners and there are no plans to remove the existing restrictions on alcohol at football matches.”