Pressure mounts for Scottish clubs to accept strict liability for crowd trouble

A leading European sporting and civil law specialist has urged Scottish football clubs to catch up with their continental colleagues and accept strict liability for the conduct of their own fans.

The intervention comes from Dr Rosmarijn van Kleef, who has written a PhD thesis on strict liability in football and is Europe’s leading expert on crowd behaviour at games.

She spoke up after the first Old Firm clash of this season was marred by scenes including two blow-up dolls, one with a Rangers scarf, strung up in the home section at Celtic Park, and while police currently investigate vandalism of toilets in the away section of Celtic Park.

Last season’s Scottish Cup final also ended in violence following a mass pitch invasion, and the first clash between old rivals Rangers and Aberdeen since the Glasgow club’s liquidation played last month at Pittodrie was also blighted by crowd trouble.

The recent disturbances have led to renewed calls for the adoption of the strict liability rules already used by European football’s governing body UEFA to tackle offensive behaviour at games, with fines, partial closure of stadia and docking of league points all available as potential punishments.

Scottish clubs have already fallen foul of the rules following European matches in the course of the past decade.

The English FA introduced strict liability in 2014, and speaking ahead of this weekend’s League Cup semi final between Rangers and Celtic - the second Old Firm clash of the season - Dr van Kleef said she is surprised Scotland has so far resisted following the game’s authorities south of the border in adopting what she refers to as “industry standards”.

Dr van Kleef will address academics, campaigners and policy makers in Glasgow today on the possibility of UEFA’s principles being introduced to the Scottish game, and speaking before her presentation she told The Herald: “Up until now, the Scottish FA has not been able to adopt strict liability rules, with the clubs – unsurprisingly – having voted against it in the past.

“Only time will tell whether ignoring society’s call for action and avoiding taking responsibility was the best course of action.”

The Scottish FA has expressed support for strict liability in the past but its proposals were voted down in 2013.

But Holyrood will now be asked to support new legislation proposed by SNP MSP James Dornan, who represents Cathcart in Glasgow.

Mr Dornan said: “When the rest of the world appears to see the sense of adopting strict liability, once again I ask why Scotland seems to think it should be immune.”

Dave Scott of anti-sectarianism charity Nil by Mouth added: “The choice for clubs is stark – remain part of the problem or be part of the solution.”

An SFA spokesman said: “We are in regular dialogue with the SPFL and the Scottish Government and have introduced more robust rules on unacceptable conduct.”