By Stefan Morkis

PUBS SHOWING live football during an internationally agreed “closed period” on Saturday afternoons could be hit with legal action by the Scottish Premierleague.

Top games from the English Premiership were on offer in Dundee at the weekend at the same time as Dundee United played at home to Motherwell.

That breaches UEFA rules intended to ensure that fans continue attending games in domestic leagues—both professional and amateur—rather than watching games in bars.

The governing body of European football allows its member nations to impose a two-and-a-half-hour period when no live football, domestic or foreign, can be screened. In Scotland and England, the closed period runs from 2.45 to 5.15 on Saturday afternoons.

However, several pubs have bought decoders that allow them to pick up signals from foreign stations like Al Jazeera and show matches from the SPL or other leagues such as the English Premiership during this time.

Last month, the Court of Session granted SPL lawyers an interim interdict against the Spirit Bar in Glasgow for using a decoder.

A spokesman for the SPL told The Courier that pubs showing live football, from the SPL or any other league, on Saturday afternoons, were breaking the rules.

He said, “UEFA’s constitution states that associations can choose a blackout period of two and a half hours on a Saturday where no football can be watched whatsoever.

“Basically, this is to keep people going to local football matches and participating in football.

“Some countries choose not to sign up to the rule and allow games to be shown, but not in the UK, so no SPL matches or other football can be shown at that time.

“We have had reports of pubs right across Scotland doing this. We are monitoring them and are prepared to take further action.

“There are number of ways we can pursue this. We have taken action against the Spirit Bar and hopefully this will be a warning but we will continue to work and will take further action against other bars.”

The spokesman said he did not expect the Spirit to be the only pub that will be pursued through the courts.

“The problem surfaced last year and is becoming more of an issue. It is something the English Premiership has faced for a number of years and we have been working with them so we can learn from them how it has been tackled,” he said.

He said many pubs breaching the regulations were being reported by the owners of other bars who did not use the decoders.

Despite UEFA’s regulations, many landlords and bar owners say they are doing nothing wrong.

The Ascot Bar in the Westport area of Dundee advertises which matches it is going to be screening live on blackboards outside the pub. On Saturday the pub had giant screens displaying two lives matches, Fulham v Chelsea and Arsenal v Sheffield United.

Ryan Barrie, entertainments manager of The Ascot, said, “It is completely legal. We’ve got two boxes, not just one, and there should not be anything from stopping us showing games.”

Mr Barrie added that, for many pubs, it was cheaper to buy a decoder and foreign satellite cards than paying for the right to show games broadcast on satellite outside the closed period.

“Sky charge you on the rateable value of the premises so it is a lot cheaper. There shouldn’t be a monopoly anyway.”

In England, there have been several cases where licensees have been prosecuted for using decoders.