LEADING opponents of laws which criminalise offensive behaviour at football matches have criticised former First Minister Alex Salmond for linking the debate to sectarianism.

Supporters group Fans Against Criminalisation which has led the campaign for the repeal of the Scottish Government’s controversial Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act said Mr Salmond's comments were "a disgrace."

And University of Abertay senior lecturer Dr Stuart Waiton, who was author of Snobs Law: Criminalising Football Fans In An Age Of Intolerance, said Mr Salmond's had started to sound "more like Ian Paisley than a liberal tolerant person".

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The legislation, which aimed to tackle football-related sectarianism, was brought in under Mr Salmond's watch as First Minister following the Old Firm “shame game” between Rangers and Celtic in 2011.

It outlaws the singing of songs which "a reasonable person would be likely to consider offensive" and which "would be likely to incite public disorder".

MSPs on Holyrood's justice committee recommended support for the repeal bill in January. It is now to progress through the Scottish Parliament, where it may be amended, before a final parliamentary debate and vote.

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Mr Salmond told The National: "It is totally shameful. It is perfectly legitimate to say such legislation could be improved, or changed in certain aspects – that is what happens as legislation beds down.

“To know what’s going on all you have to do is listen to what is being sung during certain televised matches, so why on earth in Scotland in 2018 should we accept sectarian singing in our living rooms, and anybody who does anything which sustains that and allows it to continue should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves."

He added: “Labour is greatly to blame, and I don’t expect anything from the Tories who have little regard for eliminating sectarianism in Scotland as we have seen from the antics of some of their councillors and candidates."

“But you would hope that progressive parties would want to eliminate sectarianism and its manifestations as surely as they should want to eliminate sexism and racism – it is in the same category of evil things, and the only way to defeat it is to confront it, so to run away from that battle is a dreadful thing.

The Herald: Fans Against Criminalisation hold a protest in Glasgow earlier this yearPicture: Jamie Simpson

“To do it for political purposes is pathetic and the irony is that they won’t get any thanks for it because the overwhelming majority of people in Scotland want to have done with this.

“It is putting a stain on Scotland’s reputation as a country in order to give a bloody nose to the SNP – what could be more pathetic than that?”

But the FAC said: "Alex Salmond’s comments on the OBA are a disgrace. For this man who caused so much damage due to his arrogance and unwillingness to listen, to still peddle the line this is about sectarianism is appalling."

The FAC in calling for the Act to be repealed, said that all charges made under it should be dropped and that all fans convicted under the law, who could not have been convicted under any other legislation should "at least" have the right to appeal.

It argues the Act wrongly targets fans and is "fundamentally illiberal and unnecessarily restricts freedom of expression".

Mr Waiton accused Mr Salmond of "virtue signalling" by using an issue that everyone agrees about and "trying to present yourself as the MOST anti-racist or anti-sectarian".

He said: "Just because you don’t want football fans to be arrested for singing certain songs doesn’t mean you agree with what is being sung.

"I haven’t come across one politician who defends sectarianism – quite the opposite in fact. What we are seeing here, from Mr Salmond is essentially virtue signalling: using an issue that everyone agrees about and trying to present yourself as the MOST anti-racist or anti-sectarian.

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"This reflects a form of narcissism and self-aggrandisement rather than serious mature politics. 

"The use of language is also interesting, ‘eliminate’ sectarianism, something that is ‘evil’. Here we start to get in even more dangerous quasi-religious territory – where Mr Salmond starts to sound more like Ian Paisley than a liberal tolerant person.

"Indeed there are many arguments and examples where banning things have made a situation worse. In fact, allowing people to speak or sing and NOT arresting them has until very recently been seen as the bedrock of tolerance for progressive people. To arrest people for things they say because you find them offensive is backward, authoritarian and reactionary. 

"The reality is that by using the law, by using the police and prisons, by threatening to lock people up if they say things you don’t like, you, Mr Salmond are running away. It is the job of politicians to challenge people’s ideas. Once you start using the police to do this you have given up and simply become an authoritarian."