St Johnstone owner wants booze ban rethink as he urges authorities to stop living with 'ghosts of the past'

St Johnstone owner Adam Webb wants to join forces with fellow clubs to bring booze back into Scottish football grounds.

The American lawyer is aghast that Perth punters can’t enjoy a pint in the McDiarmid Park concourses. Sales of alcohol have been banned in football stadia since the 1980 Scottish Cup Final, other than hospitality areas. An emergency law was rushed through in the wake of Celtic and Rangers fans rioting at Hampden.

But Webb believes “ghosts from the past” should no longer be dictating policy and holding back revenue boosts for the game. And he insists supporters are discriminated against because alcohol is permitted at other sporting events. Webb said: “One of the biggest things I think we need to work on is the beer sales policy. There are so many irrationalities with it. You can drive a few miles over the border and have a beer at a stadium.

“You can also go to a different sport and have one. You’re able to go to rugby match, an equally aggressive, competitive affair and be able to have as much beer as you want. Then you come here to St Johnstone, you are completely handcuffed and it makes no sense. It’s discriminatory and there’s no rationale to it. It’s like living with ghosts from the past and we need to move on.

“With technology nowadays, cameras and so forth, there are ways to preclude the problem there was 40 years ago. So, hopefully, at the right time we can unify with other clubs and come up with a more palatable programme.”

Webb has sought Saints’ fans views and investigated multiple ways to boost the matchday experience since taking over from Geoff Brown. English clubs can sell beer and other drinks in concourses at designated times but can’t take them to seats.

Webb favours a gradual process