Glasgow Euro fanzone to cost taxpayer at least £84,000 just for the screens

The controversial Euro 2020 fan zone in Glasgow will cost the taxpayer at least £84,000 just for the big screen televisions, it has emerged.

The fan zone, which is being run by Glasgow Life, a charitable arm of Glasgow City Council that is funded partially through taxpayers’ cash, is set to open on Friday amid calls for additional testing to lower the risk of Covid-19.

Hospitality groups have also criticised the decision to allow the fan zone to go ahead while pubs and bars across Glasgow are forced to close at 10:30pm, potentially when games in the European Championship are still ongoing.

The Scottish Hospitality Group claimed on Monday this could lead to violence between landlords and customers and wasted police time.

The Fan Zone for EURO 2020 is being built as preparations are ramped up ahead of kick off. A giant tv screen is installed for fans.

Opposition MSPs have also led calls for an robust testing regime at the fan zone to reduce to the risk of Covid-19 outbreaks, but the Scottish Government claimed on Monday testing attendees on arrival would pose a Covid-19 risk.

On Tuesday morning it emerged that Glasgow Life, which runs cultural and sporting events in Glasgow on behalf of Glasgow City Council, will spend at least £84,000 on the big screens and associated staging alone for the fan zone.

The organisation is likely to pay more than this overall, with the value of at least one more contract for cleaning services at the fan zone yet to be confirmed.

On the Public Contracts Scotland website, a public notice of the contract with Adi UK Ltd, a Bolton-based big screen provider, states Glasgow Life has agreed to pay £84,340 for the giant televisions.

It adds: “This contract is to manage the digital content as well as the stage activations, overall presentation and supply of LED screens for the duration of the fan zones for the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.”

Another contract, for ‘cleansing services’, is yet to have a confirmed supplier.

Its contract listing states Glasgow Life will pay for “a specialist cleaning service to provide daily onsite cleaning services running up to and the duration of the Euro 2020 tournament”.

The contract adds: “The supplier will undertake a full scope of the cleaning operation required, including resource, scheduling, and creation of a full cleaning management plan.”

Glasgow Life has been contacted for comment.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.