Michael Marra has said football fans deserve to be treated with "dignity and respect" but stopped short of backing Andy Burnham's suggestion that supporters should be allowed to drink in their seats.
The new Scottish Labour leader told the Record there had been a welcome increase in the number of women and families attending matches over the last 30 years. But he also recognised the growing frustration among Scots football fans that they cannot buy beer at matches unlike those attending rugby events.
Support for Tannadice trial
Dundee United diehard Marra backed a trial at Tannadice which sees pints being sold to fans in concourses at selected games. Supporters in England and Wales are able to buy pints within stadium concourses but are legally barred from taking them back to their seats.
Burnham, a keen Everton supporter, last week branded this as "discrimination" and told reporters: "I don't think it's fair for football fans to be singled out." He added: "I think that legislation dates to an era where football was very different. And I do believe there is a case to remove that discrimination.
"There are different ways it could be done, perhaps on a trial basis. But I’m not going to back away from what’s been a long-held view of mine. I don’t see how it can be fair that some supporters of one sport can be treated differently."
Laws and restrictions
Laws are in place which prevent drinking in view of the pitch at stadiums for clubs in the top five tiers of men's football in England. Other sports do not face such a restriction. The PM suggested a trial could be implemented to ease the ban on drinking in the stand.
But Marra, a life-long Dundee United fan, said he was more supportive of trialling the sale of alcohol in concourses as a first step. Asked if he would be in favour of fans taking drinks back to their seats, he said: "Personally, I wouldn't. I quite like the fact you could have it on the concourse.
"The atmosphere in stadiums has changed significantly over the last 30 years. There's a lot more women go to games than when I first started to attend football with my dad, and I think that's all for the good. The game belongs to all of us.
"My club is trialling selling pints on the concourse, and seeing how that works, so let's see how that goes. Let's see if that works. I'm hopeful it will.
"Football doesn't have to be all about alcohol. But it has always seemed difficult to me you can have a pint at the rugby, but not at the football. We should treat people with dignity and respect."
Police warning
Burnham's comments were welcomed by the Football Supporters’ Association and the English Football League - but police warned it would be "incredibly rash" to make changes without considering their impact on safety.
A spokesperson for the UK Football Policing Unit said: "Other sports simply don’t see the violence and criminal behaviour from their supporters that football does, albeit a minority, with alcohol often playing a significant part in violent and disorderly behaviour. It would be irresponsible to fuel this by allowing greater alcohol consumption during games."
