Football clubs warned strict liability ‘on the table’
STRICT liability for football clubs is “on the table” following the violence from Rangers fans in Glasgow city centre, the
Justice Secretary has said.
Humza Yousaf has also insisted supporters found guilty of bigotry, vandalism or disorder should face lifetime bans from the club.
It comes after Saturday’s scenes of disorder in George Square as fans celebrated their side’s first Scottish Premiership championship since 2011.
Mr Yousaf said: “Strict liability should be on the table.” He added that Rangers had “committed to work with Police Scotland”.
IMPOSING strict liability on football clubs remains “firmly on the table”, Scotland’s Justice Secretary has warned, following the scenes in Glasgow over the weekend.
Speaking in Holyrood, Humza Yousaf also insisted Rangers fans found guilty of bigotry, vandalism or disorder should face lifetime bans from the club.
Thousands of fans massed in George Square on Saturday to celebrate Rangers winning their first Scottish Premiership championship since 2011.
The square was strewn with hundreds of broken bottles, plastic bags and spent flares after flagdraped fans were seen attacking each other and launching bollards and other missiles at riot police.
Raising the issue in the Scottish Parliament, SNP MSP James Dornan said he had been pushing for strict liability for years, “whereby clubs are held responsible for the actions of their fans”.
This could see clubs facing sanctions such as point deductions and ground closures.
However, Mr Dornan said he had been met with denial by football authorities and clubs and had even faced death threats from fans.
Mr Yousaf said: “If the clubs are unwilling to acknowledge, unwilling to accept, unwilling to confront the fact that there is a problem among some fans, then of course we may have to work together as a chamber, as a parliament, to find a solution that is appropriate.”
He added: “Strict liability should be on the table.
“Other suggestions that I’ve heard that should be on the table include potentially an independent regulator, as has been discussed for the English game.
“If football is unable to regulate itself, then perhaps somebody independent to look at that should be considered. I think the clubs could also take stronger action.”
He said Rangers “have committed to work with Police Scotland”.
He added: “I hope any supporter, any fan, anybody involved with Rangers Football Club that has been found guilty of being involved in anti-catholic bigotry or vandalism or disorder will get a lifetime ban from the club.
“That is a punishment that probably fans would fear the most.”
Mr Yousaf said he had personally reported two “rabid anti-catholic messages” he received on social media.
Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie also called for strict liability.
He said: “Given that so many thousands of fans are clearly unwilling or incapable of listening to encouragement and appeals for civilised behaviour, is it not abundantly clear that we’re only going to see significant change when every fan of every club knows that any hint of vandalism, violence, antisocial behaviour or bigotry will bring not only criminal sanctions for themselves as an individual, but immediate and severe sanctions for the club that they follow, whether through the law or through the football authorities?”
Earlier, Mr Yousaf said Police Scotland had set up a dedicated team and online portal to investigate the events in George Square. Police previously confirmed 28 people have been arrested.
Mr Yousaf said he expected further arrests to follow in the days and weeks to come.
He added: “Rangers are working closely with Police Scotland to identify any supporters who were involved in criminal activity, and I would urge Rangers to take strong action against any fan who is found to have broken the law.”
Police are also probing footage which “apparently” shows Rangers players using sectarian language as they celebrated their title win.
The club denied the video is genuine and said it is confident “no criminality took place”.
Elsewhere, Jason Leitch, Scotland’s National Clinical Director, said public health officials may “never know” if the mass gathering by Rangers fans will prove to be a “superspreader” event.
Speaking on the BBC’S Good Morning Scotland programme, he cited the lengthy incubation period of the coronavirus as one of the “challenges” faced when tracing the spread. He expressed his disappointment at the large-scale gatherings over the weekend, adding that public health teams will “manage” whatever comes from it.
He also said he remained “confident” fans will be celebrating the Euros at Hampden next month but stressed it is “up to all of us” to get the outbreak under control.
Asked if the Rangers fan gatherings and Home Office protests in Pollokshields would be “superspreaders”, Mr Leitch said: “It’s far too early to tell and we may never know.”
He added: “We have had this challenge throughout the pandemic because we have this incubation period of the virus.
“If it were norovirus and you got it within 12 hours of meeting someone, you’d know where you got it.
“This virus takes seven to 10 days to show and 30 per cent of people don’t get symptoms at all, they just get the virus and they can then spread it.
“So, we may never know.” He continued: “However, I can tell you for sure that gatherings don’t make it easier. They don’t make it better.
“So, I’m disappointed to see gatherings at the weekend and we’ll manage whatever comes from it.”