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Date: 18th April 2026
FOOTBALL AT THE POLLS: FAN OWNERSHIP AND AFFORDABILITY
With just under three weeks left until the Scottish Parliamentary elections on Tuesday 7th May, the main political parties have published their manifestos – and thanks in no small part to the work of SFSA and our members, football issues receive more attention than ever before.
Both fan ownership and ticket pricing have become surprisingly high-priority ‘wedge issues’ in the 2026 election cycle. Because football is so deeply embedded in Scottish community identity, the parties are using these topics to signal their broader stances on the cost-of-living crisis and corporate accountability.
The cost of following a team has become a major talking point. The Scottish Greens have officially proposed a £25 price cap on away tickets across the professional leagues. This mirrors the £30 cap in the English Premier League but goes further. They argue that away fans are the lifeblood of the game’s atmosphere and shouldn’t be exploited as “easy revenue.”
While the SNP has been more cautious about direct league-wide price caps, they have taken a hard line on so-called ‘dynamic pricing’ (where prices rise based on demand). First Minister John Swinney recently wrote to FIFA to protest this model for the 2026 World Cup, and the party’s manifesto supports legislation to ban dynamic pricing for major domestic sporting events.
Meanwhile Scottish Labour’s manifesto includes a Fair Access pledge, suggesting a review of ticket pricing structures for families and young people (under 16s). The aim is to ensure that the next generation of fans isn’t lost to high costs.
Regarding fan ownership, the debate among the parties centres on how much power fans should have when a club is sold or mismanaged.
The Scottish Greens’ headline football policy is a Statutory Right to Buy. They want to introduce a Fans’ Right to Buy—similar to community land buyouts—which would give registered supporters’ trusts the first opportunity to purchase a club if it is put up for sale or enters administration.
The SNP has historically supported both greater fan stakeholding (through the Scottish Fans Bank, which SFSA helped get set up) and greater transparency. But their manifesto does not go into further details on these issues.
Scottish Labour is proposing a mandatory requirement for at least two fan-elected directors on the boards of all professional clubs. They also want to create a Football Governance Unit within the Scottish Government to oversee club finances and prevent reckless ownership.
The Scottish Conservatives favour a market-led approach but have expressed support for Golden Shares for fans. This would give supporters’ groups the power to veto heritage decisions, such as changing club colours, moving stadiums, or joining breakaway leagues (like the failed European Super League).
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SFSA Co-Founder and consultant Simon Barrow is following these issues closely. We will take a further dive into football issues at the election next week.
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