New British Transport Police unit to focus on football fans

British Transport Police (BTP) said a dedicated football unit within the force consisting of uniformed and plan-clothes officers would identify and deter troublesome fans on trains.

While BTP would not reveal the number of officers being deployed it said it had already arrested three men at Glasgow Queen Street station over the Christmas break.

New figures show an increase in football-related incidents on the trains, with 86 being recoreded last season.

This season there have been 56 incidents, ranging from shouting and singing to sectarian chanting as well as physical and sexual assualts.

In addition to Scottish fans, BTP said supporters of English Premiership teams coming north also posed a risk.

Supporters travelling from Lancaster had to be escorted from Glasgow Central station recently.

Chief Superintendent John McBride, divisional commander for British Transport Police in Scotland, said: “While the rail network in Scotland remains a safe and secure environment and the vast majority of the travelling public can move around without hindrance, incidents and hate crimes do occur which have a disproportionately high impact on the quality of travel for other rail users.

“I fail to see why some football supporters can’t travel to watch their team by train without indulging in behaviour which can make the journey intolerable for others.

“The deployment of the dedicated football policing unit is already making a difference with the officers being able to very quickly identify potential troublemakers and will not hesitate to intervene where necessary. Only last week three men were arrested for alleged disorder at Glasgow’s Queen Street station appeared at court.”

BTP’s chief constable Paul Crowther hosted a summit last year that brought clubs and train operators together and which concluded there was a “pervasive tolerance of thuggish behaviour by football supporters which needs robust action”.

A spokeswoman for ScotRail said: “We’re pleased to be the first train operator in the UK to have BTP ‘Text 61016’ stickers on our entire fleet to ensure our customers know how to contact the police should they need to do so, both throughout the year and during the football season.”

Dave Scott, campaign director of anti-sectarian group Nil By Mouth, said: “The sight of police officers on the train is probably the most effective deterrent to anti social behaviour on the railways and passengers will welcome this initiative. I’d suggest that most genuine football fans will also welcome the move.”