The SFA, SPFL and SWPL have hit out at proposed Tory government plans to restrict supporters' buses in Scotland - slamming plans for aiming to 'demonise football fans.' The UK Government published a consultation document last week titled ‘Guidelines for taking passengers to sporting events in Scotland’ seeking permission to impose limits on buses carrying fans to games to north of the border.
The proposals, which would prevent buses from parking within 10 MILES of the ground and severely impact the matchday experience, have been universally slammed by fans and senior figures within the game as 'draconian.' And now a joint statement by Scottish football's governing bodies has expressed concerns at the "targeted" nature of the proposals by the UK Senior Traffic Commissioner.
A joint statement signed by all three authorities reads: “There's no evidence that this is a significant problem in Scottish football.
We are concerned by the targeted nature of these proposals which serve to demonise football fans and interfere unnecessarily in people’s lives. “In Scotland, there are already appropriate powers held by PHV operators, Police Scotland and other partners to deal effectively with a very small number of incidents by a minority of fans. “The consultation itself notes that the majority of football fans are law-abiding and do not cause any disturbances when travelling to or from games, yet these proposals would unfairly affect the vast majority of football fans who travel safely and respectfully to and from matches on a weekly basis.