CELTIC and Rangers were urged yesterday to wage a single, united campaign against sectarianism. A study into the problem of religious hatred on the terraces has argued that rather than tackling the issue separately, the Old Firm should join forces to offer a single message.

It is one of several recommendations for the two clubs made by Professor Bert Moorhouse, a leading sociologist from Glasgow University, after a ground-breaking new fans’ consultation. He has gathered views from supporters’ groups around the country on how best to tackle sectarianism, once described by the First Minister, Jack McConnell, as Scotland’s “secret shame”.

In his report released yesterday, Professor Moorhouse said Celtic and Rangers should draft in past and present players and he urged celebrity supporters to make a stand, organise meetings between rival supporters’ groups, and provide training for footballers about potential sectarian dangers.

Professor Moorhouse has singled out the pre-match and half-time entertainment at Ibrox and Celtic Park for particular assessment, saying the clubs need to assess whether the occasions encourage religious hatred.

The Scottish Executive and the SFA have also been urged to act, calling on the authorities to fund a “sustained” publicity campaign against sectarianism and supporting Celtic and Rangers when they implement any new measures.

Professor Moorhouse spoke to supporters’ groups from 17 of Scotland’s biggest clubs. He found that the majority of non-Old Firm fans saw the problem of sectarianism as mainly being associated with the fans of Rangers and Celtic. Heart of Midlothian and Airdrie United were also cited as experiencing smaller-scale problems, the professor found.

But he said: “A generally expressed view was that, while the rest of Scotland has ‘moved on’, the Glasgow region is still locked into an outmoded, strange, and unpleasant, ‘tradition’.”

He also uncovered the fans’ representatives’ doubt that the Old Firm are sincere about their anti-sectarian policies and programmes. Supporters said the two clubs are seen as wedded to sectarianism because of the money it generates.

Other suggestions in the report were for the Scottish Executive, the Association of Chief Police Officers and fans stewarding companies to review policing at all the major grounds in Scotland, and examine the positioning of away fans in particular at Ibrox and Celtic Park.

The fan consultation took place between April and July this summer and its findings will be fed into the strategy being drawn up by the Sectarianism in Football Working Group. The independent report was based on discussions “with some of the most experienced, most travelled and most dedicated football fans in Scotland”, Professor Moorhouse said.

Supporters’ representatives he spoke to also agreed that sectarianism is a problem of Scottish society rather than Scottish football. But Professor Moorhouse argued that players with all major clubs should receive anti-sectarian “training”, not just Rangers and Celtic players.

A review of the anti-sectarian training received by police and stewards at Ibrox and Celtic Park should also be carried out, he said.

Patricia Ferguson, the Sports Minister, welcomed Professor Moorhouse’s report. “The vast majority of fans attend matches for the love of football and a desire to support their team,” she said. “However, there are those that continue to use football as a platform to articulate unacceptable expressions of sectarian hatred.

“I am pleased that fans from our football clubs have aired their views, which will inform the executive’s drive to combat sectarianism in football.”

But the report was dismissed by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (Acpos) as unauthoratitive. Assistant Chief Constable Kevin Smith, who leads on football issues for Acpos, said: “Unfortunately, we feel this consultation has been a missed opportunity.

“It has come out as more of a football phone-in than a serious academic exercise and the police service in Scotland feels it adds nothing to the ongoing and serious debate around sectarianism.

“It is based on interviews with a small number of people, and to suggest that translates into the authoritative voice of the supporters is wrong.”

Referring to the suggestion that policing at Old Firm games be reviewed, he added: “The policing of football matches is rigorously planned and there are many factors in deciding how certain games are policed.

“The views and perception of fans should not be used by the police in deciding how this is achieved. It is achieved through more than a century of policing football matches in Scotland and knowing what works and what doesn’t.”

Rangers and Celtic issued a joint statement yesterday in response to the report, saying they were both committed to eradicating sectarianism.

The clubs cited their “Bhoys Against Bigotry” and “Pride Over Prejudice” campaigns, and The Old Firm Alliance, which encourages schoolchildren across Glasgow to play together.

Martin Bain, the Rangers chief executive, said: “Rangers Football Club is totally committed to wiping out all forms of anti-social behaviour in football, of which sectarianism is a part. We will now study the report and recommendations, continuing to favour all constructive measures aimed at tackling this problem.

“The club has engaged in an enormous amount of activity to tackle inappropriate behaviour over recent years and has significantly increased its efforts this season — all have been backed by the police, domestic football authorities and Uefa.”

He added: “Sectarianism comprises a large part of this but generally offensive behaviour affects everyone at grounds. Several incidents involving clubs other than the Old Firm have demonstrated this recently, even in the lower leagues.”

The chief executive of Celtic, Peter Lawwell, said sectarianism was an issue for society as a whole, not just football. He added that since its formation in 1888, Celtic had stood firmly against bigotry and discrimination in all its forms.

“Celtic has worked and will continue to work vigorously in this area and play its part in ensuring that we do all we can to challenge sectarian attitudes,” he said.

Lawwell said there was already evidence of the two footballing giants working together and that it was developing constantly. More than 10,000 children had so far taken part in the Old Firm Alliance, he said, which promotes tolerance through the issue of football.

Lawwell added: “Together with Rangers Football Club, we have worked on a number of meaningful projects aimed at tackling sectarianism. We have had detailed discussions on this matter recently with the Scottish Premier League, SFA, Uefa and the Scottish Executive and each of these institutions has indicated that they are extremely satisfied with the way in which Celtic is addressing this issue.”

• An Airdrie United supporter has become the first fan in Scotland to be served with an order banning him from every football ground in Britain.
  
  Izak Cowie, 38, a member on Airdrie’s “Section B” casuals, will now be unable to set foot anywhere near a football match in Britain until November 11, 2009. The order is the first of its kind since the introduction of the Police Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006, came into force.
  
  Chief Superintendent Kenny Scott, who has led police operations to combat football hooliganism in Scotland, said: “Strathclyde Police welcomes the granting of the first banning order under the civil procedures act. We hope that the order sends a clear warning to those intending to cause trouble that negative behaviour will not be tolerated at football grounds within Scotland.”