Meeting of the Parliament 25 February 2026 [Draft]
Warning noted, Deputy Presiding Officer.
It does not take politicians speaking in the chamber to highlight just how much football means to the people of Scotland. We can see from the jubilant scenes up and down the country last November, when Steve Clarke’s men’s squad qualified for our first world cup since I was seven, that football is, for many, not only escapism but a way of life. Our national game can often be an outlet. Football allows hundreds of thousands of people across Scotland an escape. It can bring much-needed optimism in a time of struggle, and a sense of purpose, belonging and civic pride. It creates friendships and family bonds that can last a lifetime.
Moreover, football can open up to people a world beyond their locality. It gives supporters an opportunity to visit places that they may never have considered visiting; to learn about other cultures that they knew little about before; and to have experiences that go beyond the 90 minutes on the pitch.
Last month, independent academic research revealed that Scottish football contributes £820 million to the Scottish economy and supports 14,315 jobs. That assessment, from the Fraser of Allander Institute, underlines the growing contribution of our national sport and its clubs to the Scottish economy. The study also found that attendance at professional matches involving Scottish teams topped 6.8 million during the 2023-24 campaign.
In my Central Scotland region, I am extremely proud to have several football clubs that go above and beyond in the communities that they serve. In the Scottish premiership, both Motherwell and Falkirk—two fan-owned football clubs being driven through the Well Society and the Falkirk Supporters’ Society—are punching well above their weight, sitting comfortably among the top six teams in the country and mounting challenges for those lucrative European spots.
Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting Derek Allison and the team at the Falkirk Foundation. The work that the foundation does is invaluable, from providing a full pathway for under-seven girls’ football to the senior team, to baby bairns classes for kids, starting at just 18 months. The organisation leads the way in offering mental health training; football classes for people living with Down’s syndrome; monthly engagement initiatives to tackle social isolation for people over 60 and so much more. The Falkirk Foundation is a well-established anchor organisation at the heart of my community.
Similarly, the wonderful Dawn and the team at Motherwell Football Club Community Trust use the power of football as a tool for community engagement. In 2021—a year disrupted by lockdowns, and by restrictions on numbers and travel—the trust brought benefits of £13.64 million to the local community.
When we talk about football, we often talk about the clubs: the enthralling matches, the less enthralling matches and the trophies won. Without fans, however, those moments would be diluted, and the financial contribution would be significantly less.
I brought the debate to the chamber to highlight the contribution that football clubs and their fans make to society. As I touched on, football is one of the most loved and successful sports in the country, and Scotland boasts some of the most loyal supporters anywhere in Europe. However, the more I speak to supporters and supporters’ organisations, the more aware I become that fans feel that they are being taken for granted. They are the only stakeholder that is consistently removed from debates—to put it simply, decisions that affect football fans are being made without the input of football fans. That is nothing new, but I believe that it is something that we, as parliamentarians, must seek to change.
Match-going fans have long been misunderstood. Those attending matches in Scotland have, at times, been targeted by the media, by politicians and by police. Instances of disorder, even though they typically relate to only a tiny minority of spectators, have led to football fandom suffering from stigma. However, when football fans unite and organise, they can achieve some incredible things—just ask those who run fan-supported food banks in stadiums across the country; the ultras groups who have organised toy collections or helped those in need in their communities; and Medical Aid for Palestinians, which receives significant donations following campaigns by Celtic fans. I would like to see, from my colleagues across the chamber, a commitment to see the best in football supporters, to value their contribution and to support them to grow our game and create a positive culture.
As football becomes increasingly commodified and sanitised, it loses its identity. A huge factor in that has been the rising ticket costs that we are seeing across the board. Football is meant to be for everyone, but across our country, there are families and working-class fans being priced out of attending matches. As an example, for the upcoming Rangers-Celtic match in the Scottish cup, adults are being charged £53, with concessions being around £10 less. The estimated ticket revenue from that game is more than £2.5 million. Both clubs will receive more in gate receipts from that game than the winners of the cup will receive in prize money. It is totally exploiting the loyalty of fans.
The Scottish Greens are calling for a £25 cap on away tickets in Scotland. In January, I urged the First Minister, at First Minister’s question time, to back the cap, and I wrote to all 42 professional clubs, urging them to support a fair pricing agreement that would keep football accessible for supporters during the cost of living crisis. I am delighted that that campaign has been backed by several supporters’ clubs already, and by organisations such as the Scottish supporters collective and Supporters Direct Scotland.
At recent matches, supporters have taken matters into their own hands, holding up banners demanding a £25 cap and sending a clear message to clubs and football authorities across Scotland that it is an issue that fans deeply care about. I am grateful to fans at Falkirk, Motherwell, Kilmarnock, Celtic, Hibernian, St Johnstone, Partick Thistle, Dundee United and Aberdeen. We have also previously seen support for lower ticket prices at St Mirren. Fans of Falkirk and Hibs have gone a step further and boycotted recent matches at Celtic Park, stating that the pricing structure is unacceptable, and I commend their efforts.
Clubs should listen to their supporters. The passion and organisation that we have seen from fans show that there is a strong appetite for change, and it is time for football authorities and clubs to respond. We need more democracy at the heart of Scottish football. We must look at a fairer distribution of resources and at marketing our game better to attract further ethical investment that does not come from health-harming products or from gambling. We must do more to put supporters’ voices at the forefront. We must ensure that fans can have an ownership stake—