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Right-to-buy move for Scottish football backed by MSPs | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
MSPs have backed plans to allow fans the right to buy their football clubs. | |
Members of the local government committee supported amendments to the Community Empowerment Bill to extend the right-to-buy to football fans. | |
Green MSP Alison Johnstone, who placed the amendments, told the committee that agreeing to the changes would turn the legislation into a landmark bill | |
If passed by the full parliament, supporters' trusts would get "first refusal" when a club comes up for sale. | |
Ms Johnstone said: "You don't need to be a football fan to know that Scottish football lurches from crisis to crisis, and that the current model of ownership has led to disaster at clubs from Gretna to Hearts. | Ms Johnstone said: "You don't need to be a football fan to know that Scottish football lurches from crisis to crisis, and that the current model of ownership has led to disaster at clubs from Gretna to Hearts. |
"You also only need to look at Germany, where almost all clubs are fan-owned, to see how well this model can work." | |
She said the proposals were not just about fans stepping in to save their clubs once they had fallen into administration. | |
The Scottish Green MSP said: "There are many well-run Scottish clubs in private hands, but those owners come and go, and when they go, we want to see fans have the first right of refusal. | |
"Where there's a committed and well-organised group of fans with strong support on the terraces for a takeover, we want them to have the power to do so." | "Where there's a committed and well-organised group of fans with strong support on the terraces for a takeover, we want them to have the power to do so." |
Her amendment brings the principles of rural land reform laws, which help communities buy land, to supporters of football clubs. | |
A survey by the Greens received more than 250 replies from football supporters and members of fans' trusts, with the majority backing the proposals. | |
More than 95% supported giving fans the first right of refusal if their clubs are sold or go into administration, and 81% of those who expressed a view backed a right-to-buy at any time. |