Education, Culture and Sport Committee, 18 Sep 2001
Meeting date: Tuesday, September 18, 2001
Official Report
296KB pdf
Public Petition: East of Scotland Supporters Association
Item 5 is consideration of petition PE380, on ways to promote fans' participation in the decision-making process within senior Scottish football.
Although I welcome the petition, the challenge that it presents will require an enormous commitment. Given how professional football has developed in the past four or five years and that two or three larger Scottish clubs want further developments—if we carefully read comments that were made at the weekend—we need to get the balance right. Any inquiry that we undertake should deal with general access to sport as well as participation in the decision-making process.
Although I have no firm or fixed views about how we should proceed with the petition—and bearing in mind the current commitments in my timetable—I am keen to find some way of addressing the points that it raises and not just to set it aside. Certain supporters of all clubs feel very strongly that they should have a greater say in the running of the clubs and in the decision-making process itself.
As I am a Falkirk MSP, it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the need for supporters to be involved in what is happening in their clubs. I have met a number of supporters who have been frustrated that they have not had a voice in many decisions affecting local football clubs. As Frank McAveety pointed out, it is important for people to have a say in matters that involve them. We are back to the word "stakeholder" again. Although football clubs would not exist without supporters, the same supporters are the last people to know whether there is a crisis or to be involved in any developments in the club.
Although I am not necessarily a football fan, I think that, if the sport is to flourish, clubs must acknowledge that supporters have a role. I am not sure how we will deal with the petition; perhaps we should ask Frank McAveety to do some work on it.
That is a thought.
We should welcome the petition and find out how we can support its development.
Activists and organisations have been conducting a long-running campaign to establish in Scotland something similar to the suggestion in the petition and the facility that exists in England and Wales. The Deputy Minister for Sport, the Arts and Culture has been lobbied extensively for his views, but it has been difficult to determine his position. I have with me two conflicting pieces of information that are dated a month apart. It might be useful for members to know that when I asked the minister about the help that would be given to fund the establishment of supporters trusts, he unequivocally said that the Executive has
"no plans to help fund the establishment of football supporters' trusts".—[Official Report, Written Answers, 8 March 2001; Vol 11, p 121.]
However, a newspaper article a month later says:
"Scottish football fans have received a firm commitment from Allan Wilson … that they will receive similar rights to their English and Welsh counterparts".
As a result, irrespective of whatever action the committee might take, the Executive's sympathies about the idea are unclear. Such a lack of any clear indication of support from the Executive has not helped the people who are keen for the issue to move forward.
Perhaps the press reports suggest that lobbying is working and that the Executive is moving towards the idea.
As an avid football fan, I think that this is a very important issue for the committee to investigate. It is vital that fans are involved in the decision-making process, particularly in light of some of the developments that have been mooted over the past months.
If Rangers and Celtic moved south at some point in the future, that would have huge implications for their fans, who would face substantial travelling times and costs in travelling to away games. That might result in a substantial change in culture towards people not going to away games and participating only in home matches. It would also have huge implications for fans of other teams in Scotland, although whether the impact would be positive or negative would depend on the point of view of the individual fan.
I know that Frank McAveety has an interest in this area and I suggest that he conduct an initial investigation before coming to the committee with suggestions about how we should progress this matter in the 18 months that we have left. Perhaps Frank could discuss the matter with the minister to find out his views. Will you do that, Frank?
Yes.