Get the next round!

Likely the only envy Scottish fans have of our friends down south relating to the match experience is the ability to have a pint at the game. For the first time since 1980 - for us at The Dispatch, in our lifetimes - we can have a pint at the game. But just how did we get here - and why is it long overdue?

In 1980, Celtic faced Rangers in the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden. An extra time winner from George McCuskey sealed a 1-0 win for Celtic. A game which, perhaps unusually for us of a certain age, produced the only chance of silverware for the Glasgow duo, as Aberdeen had sealed the league title. 70,303 took in the encounter, of which interestingly, I found, only one member of the playing squads for both teams was not Scottish (Celtic's English keeper Peter Latchford).

As was normal at the time, Celtic players wanted to parade the trophy and celebrate with their supporters. Hampden had recently erected a 10 foot high perimeter fence around the pitch, which Celtic's faithful climbed to celebrate with their heroes. It was described by the SFA at the time as a "spontaneous, if misguided, expression of joy". In my mind, scenes not too dissimilar to those of Hibernian fans celebrating their Scottish Cup triumph in 2016.

One fan took it to extremes, to some, as it was reported one Celtic fan ran to the Rangers end at Hampden (where some Gers supporters remained) and launched the ball over the fence into their end. The Rangers fans took umbrage to this display of joy, climbed the fence themselves, and thus a mass brawl erupted on the Hampden pitch. Further reports describe seeing bricks, bottles, cans and the like being thrown by one another, with some fans breaking apart the terracing frames and using the wood and iron bars as weapons. The police on hand couldn't cope with the sheer volume of supporters going at each other and couldn't keep the violence from flowing. Commentator on the day Archie MacPherson described the scenes as something reminiscent of "Apocalypse Now" and the "equivalent of Passchendaele" (a campaign of the First World War for those of us, like me, scratching their heads at this reference).

The end result? Celtic and Rangers fined £20,000. Over 200 arrests made in Hampden. Celtic blamed the police for the violence getting out of hand, Rangers and the police blamed Celtic. Celtic then blamed the underlying hostility and sectarianism in Glasgow as they had fielded a team of Catholics and Protestants in the game.

Reality? Maybe passion? It does stupid things to you. I'm a passionate, loyal supporter of the Claret and Amber, but would I get in a fight over my club? Probably not. Alcohol? We've all done daft things with a pint or two in our system. Maybe even stupid fights that would never have happened otherwise. Using weapons because of it? I'm unsure. The Celtic fan launching the ball in the crowd? Definitely the spark that ignited the sheer powder keg of this fixture. I remember a game when Motherwell played Hamilton Accies, and I've seen messers Dougie Imrie and Darion Mackinnon launching the ball into the crowd during play, nearly hitting fans (one of which I'm sure, from memory, a young girl), and the crowd going wild. Did anyone jump the pitch and start swinging? No. Hatred? Most definitely a major factor. We know the sheer hatred from these two clubs. Confuses me, personally but alas.

In my mind, it's all of the above, mixed into one, poisonous, explosive, volatile concoction.

The Secretary of State For Scotland at the time, George Younger, blamed alcohol consumption and the actions of the Celtic players. As a result, Westminster passed The Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980, which banned the sale and consumption of alcohol in Scottish sport grounds. This was, in the view of the government, a method of reducing hooliganism and improving the standard of the Scottish game. The ban was lifted partially by then Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill, to allow the sale of alcohol in Murrayfield Stadium for Scottish Rugby internationals. This was in part, due to lobbying from the SRU as they believed they missed out on hosting the 2003 Challenge Cup Final. Following this partial lift, our then chairman John Boyle called for it to be lifted in it's entirety.

Where does that leave us now?

The current trials will see Motherwell (vs Dundee and Kilmarnock) and Aberdeen (vs Kilmarnock) be able to sell alcohol within the stadium. Like in England, it appears that alcohol can only be consumed in designated areas and, especially, not in sight of the pitch.

The matches where we can grab a pint at Fir Park

For Aberdeen, these sales will be solely for home fans at the Richard Donald Stand Lower, with drinks available to purchase before Kick Off.

At Fir Park, drinks can be purchased within the Tommy McLean Stand concourse/kiosk for travelling fans, and within the Davie Cooper concourse/kiosk for home supporters at Fir Park between 1pm and 2:30pm. Perhaps a tad disappointing that, from what has been divulged by the club, that those within the John Hunter and Phil O'Donnell stands won't be able to partake. Though we obviously recognise it would be difficult for those within the Hunter to have a pint without viewing the pitch. However, as the club stated...

"The aim of this initiative is to explore how a managed approach to alcohol sales can contribute to a positive and safe matchday experience".

Will this contribute to the matchday experience?

Most matchdays begin with a rendevezous at the local pub. For us that be the Steelworks, Electric Bar, Club 100, or the Cooper or Mrs Bailles Bar. If you're a Jambo? Diggers, The Ardmillian, Tynecastle Arms, Straties. Away at Dingwall? The Mallard (we miss you so much). You get the point. The meetup is normally well before kick off, where you sit and enjoy a few before getting to the ground. Then, of course, you have the post match debrief. Discuss the chances missed, the final result. Celebrate, console, rage, etc. Back to the boozer for a few more jars. What's the point in this you ask? Well, i suppose the point is, you sink a fair few before you get in. Sink a few more after. You're maybe half cut before you set foot in the ground, and topping it up after. Any potential mishaps that could be caused from this (and we all know what I mean), could maybe be avoided by a simple "I'll meet you at the ground, grab a quick one before KO". If the pilot is successful, maybe even means grabbing one at HT, saving some hassle later on.

In short; being able to have a pint or 2 at the ground, might save you from have 3/4+ before and after the match. If police et al believe alcohol to be the sole barer for all hooliganism, then perhaps this is a way to combat it. The further benefit, therefore, is the purchasing and consumption of alcohol can be monitored and controlled by the club, with the club also generating a little extra revenue.

Also to note, times have changed. Back in the 80s, I believe you would have purchased alcohol in cans. Which are easily used as missiles. Of course, the Scottish game is no stranger to missiles being thrown at players and officials, be it coins, lighters, or in Scott Brown's case, being targeted by Chewits. With drinking sections being carefully marked and monitored, this would mean drinks being sold in plastic cups (one would imagine), where you wouldn't be able to take these out upon finishing up; rendering the fear of a heineken-powered rocket as useful as a Filip Sebo shot from 30 yards out.

One very real downside could be the businesses losing revenue, though, we find it unlikely this would be a significant disadvantage for businesses. The times you could drink in stadium are heavily restricted, and we don't feel that this time is enough to hinder the 'local' - plenty of businesses near stadiums still thrive in England, for example.

Classism?

The overarching issue which would be remiss not to mention is that of the rampant classism from our political overlords. Lifting the alcohol ban for those that attend rugby matches but not football is very clearly classist. It's no secret that rugby attracts more affluent fans, whereas football has always been considered the working class sport. It stands to reason then that to have one rule for one group and one rule for another is classist.

Critics of the point of classism tend to downplay its severity by, pointing to the fact that, it is just alcohol. "If you can't go a pint for 90 minutes at the footy, you probably have a problem". Despite the fact this misses the economic point entirely, it is reflective of a wider, much deeper and real, snobbery upon football fans, which, for all intents and purposes, is traditionally the working class. This point is only strengthened by the fact that you can drink at football stadiums - if you can afford to pay for hospitality.

Another critical point is that well-meaning charities point to the havoc that alcohol causes in people's lives. I am genuinely sympathetic to this point. Alcohol is harmful. It should always be consumed in moderation. There is, though, a fairly obvious point to make here: you're not exactly going to be ordering triple vodka lemonades from the Davie Cooper stand. It'll be a low alcohol % lager or cider. And even then, this article isn't an advocate for slamming pints down wherever you go, it's just that we want to be given the choice we would have at Rugby stadiums or, indeed, any stadia throughout the UK.

It is worth remembering that John Swinney himself is partial to a pint. To our knowledge, the drinks he had in these photos did not cause him to descend into a rage of sectarian violence. Despite the police being open to the possibility of alcohol being permitted, Swinney remains "unsympathetic" and cites the Scottish public's relationship with alcohol. If this was his genuine position, then why keep it in place for the Rugby?

The arguments against revoking the ban wreak of classism and misguided conjecture. The ban is a symptom of a much wider, long-standing discrimination against the working class and to downplay it as trivial or alcoholism in disguise is to continue to allow Swinney et al to look down at us from their ivory chairs.

Should alcohol be allowed in football stadiums?

• Aye
• Naw