Ian Murray: Banning alcohol at football but not rugby is 'classist and snobby'

Banning alcohol at football matches but not rugby is classist and “snobby”, the Scottish Secretary has said.

Ian Murray hit out at football fans being treated differently, while appearing as a guest on Matt Forde’s Political Party at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe on Thursday.

The sale of alcohol within football grounds has long been prohibited, save for hospitality sections.

The Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980 has prohibited the sale of alcohol within football grounds for more than 40 years, although there is an exemption for corporate hospitality areas.

There have long been calls to relax the rules, with football bosses pointing to the fact alcohol can be sold at rugby matches and other sports.

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Last year, SNP Health Secretary Neil Gray said any proposal to allow alcohol to be sold in football stadiums would be given “serious consideration”.

It came after SNP MSP George Adam called for the ban to be lifted, arguing football had “moved on” from the 1980s. However, First Minister John Swinney later poured cold water on the idea, saying: ““We have no plan to go down such a route.”

A limited pilot scheme has since been carried out.

During his show, Mr Forde referenced a recent story claiming an internal Edinburgh Council memo had called Oasis fans overweight and middle-aged ahead of the band’s gig in the capital.

Mr Murray responded: "Yeah, I think it was snobby. I mean, Murrayfield is a great example.

"You can go and see Scotland versus the All Blacks on a Saturday at 3 o'clock and get as ratted as you want sitting watching the rugby - and people do, they spend most of their time running up to the bar.

"And I remember my team, Hearts, played Celtic there the following day on the Sunday, when Hampden was out of use for the Commonwealth Games, and there was a complete ban on drinking in the stands because it's football fans. That's just classist and snobby."

Put to him that he wanted to bring back drinking at football games, Mr Murray said: "Or not have the rugby drinking."