Licensed trade says Old Firm match on Hogmanay 'is senseless'

The Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) has said the decision to play the next Rangers v Celtic league game on Hogmanay is "senseless".

The SLTA warned there were "obvious concerns" about longer drinking time and pressure on the emergency services.

The Scottish Professional Football League has confirmed the match will kick off at Ibrox at 12:15 on 31 December.

Police Scotland said the time and date was the "best option".

The move was agreed after discussions between police, football authorities and broadcasters.

The SLTA said it was "outrageous" that no other bodies were consulted.

The group said "the whole of Glasgow, the rest of the country, its residents and businesses would be affected".

It has now called for the game to be played on 2 or 3 January, when all those involved "can be focused on controlling fans before, during and after this often volatile game".

Chief executive Paul Waterson said: "Our pubs and bars will as always have a responsibility of controlling drinking within their premises, but who is going to control unsupervised home drinking and drinking in the street, particularly on a day such as Hogmanay?"

Domestic violence

He added: "Have those involved in this decision taken into account the fact that Police Scotland reported that the number of calls concerning domestic abuse cases almost doubled on the day the teams met in their Scottish Cup semi-final match earlier this year?

"Does no-one remember Police Scotland's campaign last year during the festive season to reduce the number of domestic incidents during the festive period, 'a time when domestic violence is at it's highest'?

"It would seem not, as both issues will now be drawn together by the staging of a Rangers v Celtic game on Hogmanay."

Police made one arrest at Celtic Park on 10 September during the first Old Firm league clash for four years.

But banners and effigies apparently displayed by Celtic fans caused controversy, as did damage to the stadium toilets in the away supporters' section of the ground.

Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Higgins, Police Scotland's strategic lead on football, said when the fixture was announced: "The time and date of the next Old Firm fixture was decided after discussions between ourselves, football authorities and broadcasters.

"We believe this is the best option in terms of the needs of the interested parties and minimising the wider community impact.

"Planning has already started in terms of the policing of the fixture and again will involve a multi-agency partnership approach."