Backtracking at Glasgow council is Olympic standard

GLASGOW has built a reputation as being one of the world’s most fan-friendly sporting cities.

If wriggling and backtracking were Olympic sports they’d also attract a capacity crowd to the City Chambers to run the rule over world-class performances by council leader Susan Aitken and deputy David McDonald.

Hampden Park was a proud venue for the Commonwealth Games in 2014, hosted the recent European Championships to great acclaim and has welcomed world-class events across a range of sports including gymnastics, athletics and tennis.

But the council’s farcical and highly questionable handling of the Rangers fan-zone application, first raised in these pages, has raised serious issues about their integrity and motives and may even have breached the official code of conduct.

Tory MSP Adam Tomkins has now written to the commissioner for ethical standards in public life and lodged a formal complaint on behalf of Rangers, asking that office to investigate the actions of his SNP rivals.

Aitken has a cheek – correctly championing better fan engagement at Hampden, part of her Langside ward, while denying Rangers supporters a similar experience.

One colleague attempted to play a ridiculous gender card in defence of Aitken – but neither protagonist has addressed the principal issue.

Why did Aitken and McDonald meet with local councillor Stephen Dornan on the evening of August 1 and what was said?

The next morning Rangers were informed by Glasgow Life the city leaders had denied them access to the Ibrox Community Complex and therefore an application for a public entertainments licence, due to be heard on August 6, had to be scrapped.

Dornan’s emotional appeals would carry more weight had he done anything in office to improve arguably the worst playing surface of its type in the city.

Not only is its astro like sandpaper, claims a fanzone would deny local kids the chance to use it on matchdays have been blown out the water – with only 11 youthrelated bookings when Gers are at home since last June.

Dornan also claimed local business, especially pubs, will lose out – a fan zone is expected to cost Rangers money, while fans would be expected to pay up to £4.80 for a pint, with an alcohol licence already agreed.

Rangers fans have pointed a finger at the Celtic leanings of McDonald and Dornan and tweets from the former have been crass and ill-fitting of someone in public office.

The SNP, a minority administration on Glasgow Council, needs all their councillors on board to keep