Long calls for Football Offences Act extension

12.00.00am GMT Mon 12th Dec 2005

Alliance Sports spokesperson Michael Long has called for the Football Offences Act to be extended to Northern Ireland in the light of a new report commissioned by the Irish Football Association.

Responding to the report carried out by the thinktank Democratic Dialogue, the Castlereagh Councillor stated: "The Alliance Party has long called for the Football Offences Act, both of 1991 and 1999, to be extended to Northern Ireland.

"The fact is that Northern Ireland soccer grounds all too often look and feel like those in England 20 years ago. For the game to move forward, the legislation that makes it a game for all the family must move forward too.

"No one would seriously argue that the Football Offences legislation in existence in England and Wales has had anything other than an extremely positive effect on the game there. It does require inputting resources,

but these would be more than returned through increased attendances and a generally better product for supporters attending games.

"I strongly commend all aspects of Democratic Dialogue's report and would call on people to move quickly to turn them into reality for the good of sports fans across Northern Ireland."

ENDS