Alan Rough says curbs on away fans make no business sense
On The Football Show, Alan Rough criticised Scottish clubs' owners, chairmen and chief executives for limiting away supporters over the last 20 years.
By Peter Martin,
Alan Rough has criticised the people running Scottish football for the way away supporters have been treated over the last two decades.
On The Football Show, Rough targeted club chief executives, chairmen and owners for limiting the number of travelling fans allowed into grounds over the last 20 years. The show's charge was that those decisions had "killed the game".
Empty stands, 500 in a corner
Rough's point was a visual one that will be familiar to anyone who follows their team around the country. He pointed to stands lying empty while 500 travelling fans sit in a corner, a picture he presented as a symptom of the restrictions that clubs have imposed on visiting supporters.
The St Mirren example
He cited St Mirren as an example, pointing to the club's approach of asking for season ticket buy-in.
The money argument
Rough's case rested on finance. He argued that the income lost by keeping away fans out makes no business sense for the clubs concerned.
The question of away allocations has been a recurring flashpoint in the Scottish game. Rough's argument puts the responsibility squarely with those in the boardrooms rather than with supporters.