MP bids to head off hooligans at Border

Published on Saturday 9 February 2008 19:11

FOOTBALL hooligans from England and Wales will be banned from Scottish matches amid fears that fans known to be violent are crossing the Border to avoid being caught by police.

The Football Spectators and Sports Ground Bill will prevent fans who have been banned from grounds south of the Border attending matches in Scotland or travelling to overseas matches from Scotland.

Dumfries and Galloway MP Russell Brown introduced the bill to close a loophole that means football banning orders made in England and Wales are not enforceable in Scotland. Scottish orders apply both north and south of the Border.

Brown said the south of Scotland was particularly vulnerable to English hooligans, who were free to travel to matches in towns like Gretna or Dumfries.

"There have been about 3,000 banning orders made in England and Wales and those people can just come into Scotland and watch games.

"Banning orders are effective in reducing violence. I was fully behind the legislation but we need to close this loophole to prevent Scotland becoming a base for individuals who are banned from matches."

The MP said he had been alerted to the problem by the English Football Association during the World Cup in Germany in 2006, when banned fans from England and Wales travelled to Scotland to fly out to matches.

The Scottish Government said it remained a problem, with the police having to deal with the risks posed by Champions League and UEFA Cup ties and other matches played in Scotland.

A spokesman said there were also about 20 people living in Scotland who had had orders imposed by the English and Welsh courts.

He added: "Our police do an excellent job of addressing these issues, but closing this loophole will prevent Scotland from being seen as a safe haven for those wishing to cause violence and disorder at football matches."

The Scottish Football Banning Order Unit, at Strathclyde Police headquarters, is responsible for the co-ordination and enforcement of orders issued in Scotland and has regular contact with its counterpart south of the Border.

Five Scottish football hooligans were banned from every ground in Britain last month after a fight broke out following a pre-season friendly between Dundee and London club Millwall. A group of Dundee fans attacked the Millwall fans as they were escorted to Dundee train station by police.

The orders followed criticism that Scottish judges granted fewer than 5% of those applied for by the police. Between September 2006 and December 2007, just nine were issued in Scotland, although they were applied for in 221 criminal cases. A further two football banning orders were granted in civil cases, while another 79 were still being processed.

The Home Office and the Scottish Government are both backing Brown's bill.