THE public can be reassured that Police Scotland is adept at managing football fixtures and other high-profile events, according to a report.
But the document, published yesterday, warned that “more work” is needed on the issue of stadium safety.
The report by HM Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) Gill Imery, who oversees policing, assesses the progress made in meeting 18 recommendations contained in an independent review of football policing, published earlier this year. It was commissioned by the chief constable of Police Scotland after several incidents during the 2018/19 season, including a crush outside Celtic Park ahead of a match against Rangers.
The report says all senior football stadiums in Scotland have the necessary safety certificates from their local authorities.
An inconsistent approach to the management and scrutiny of stadium safety certificates and potential breaches of safety regulations had been identified in the independent review and the Scottish Government has been working to promote a national network of safety advisory groups to address this. Imery said: “This was a significant issue and while it has been recently confirmed that all 22 local authorities with senior football clubs have safety certificates in place, I share the view that more work in this area is required.
“It is recognised that it is a complex multi-agency issue and I look forward to further progress on matters relating to stadium safety.”
In relation to the other recommendations from the review, Imery said: “Police Scotland has a proven track record of effectively delivering prominent events, including football, and has the requisite capability to work with the relevant stakeholders to discharge its responsibilities in keeping safe those who attend football fixtures.”
The report says Police Scotland has met 12 recommendations and the rest are on track. Those which required action from the Scottish Government and other agencies have seen “significant progress”.
Cosla president Councillor Alison Evison said: “The report is a clear signal of the good, solid progress councils have made in terms of consolidating safety within our football stadiums.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel