Safety failings putting football fans at ‘significant risk’, report claims

Football fans are being put at “significant risk” by a series of safety failings, according to a new report.

The review of football policing found clubs deliberately selling more tickets than their stadium capacity, erecting unsafe terracing for away fans and safety certificates being sent through the post by local authorities without site visits being made.

The review was led by Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts, the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s lead for football policing.

A new independent review claims safety failings are putting football fans at risk. Picture: TSPL

He said fans were being let down by inadequate stewarding, citing one example where a steward who was part of safety cordon was seen to celebrate the home side’s goal.

His report said the demotion of Rangers after the club went into administration had “shone a spotlight” on safety practices in lower leagues, with a number of serious issues caused by large numbers of away fans attending smaller grounds.

He said issues such as deliberately selling more tickets than stadium capacity and tickets being sold for areas of the ground that did not exist or were inaccessible also extended to Scottish Cup matches.

He said: “Those type of examples clearly paint a picture where members of the public could be put at significant risk attending those events as a result of the lack of rigour in the safety framework and regime.”

Mr Roberts was commissioned to carry out his work by Police Scotland in October – a month after a crush outside Celtic Park which left a number of fans injured.

Supporters’ group Fans Against Criminalisation criticised the review for failing to investigate that incident.

Spokeswoman Jeanette Findlay said: “The whole way this review came about looks like an attempt to head off at the pass a genuine review. It’s not independent and it’s failed to look at Police Scotland’s own failings.

“Police Scotland views fans as criminals and potential sources of disorder and that’s a problem for us on an ongoing basis.