Euro 24 fans are paying high price for footballs greed

Football fans are paying high price for

It’s no surprise that unofficial ticket prices for Scotland’s opening Euro 2024 match against Germany are so high.

The eyes of the football world will be on the game and touts know they can make a killing. But even some of the official prices the Tartan Army are expected to pay are ridiculous.

It is welcome that some fans will be able to get tickets for under £50 when they go on sale today. But the majority will have to pay much more than that if they want to see the historic encounter and some of the briefs being offered to the Scotland Supporters Club members are in excess of £500.

These prices, set by Uefa, are unacceptably high and risk pricing fans out of watching the match. There will be supporters seeking out every penny just to make the trip to Germany.

But how many can afford hundreds of pounds for just one match? The so-called Beautiful Game should be affordable for regular fans.

Rip-off admission charges are now the norm at almost every level of football. But these prices are exorbitant and cannot be justified by anyone putting fans first.

Ukrainians need a proper home

Ukrainians needed support in their hour of need – and people in Scotland rose to the task.

A huge well of sympathy and generosity was shown by the general population, and from our local and national governments, at the plight of people fleeing war.

Many of the Ukrainians who have come to Scotland will stay permanently. Their children will grow up alongside Scottish children as they settle into our schools and communities.

But a report from Heriot-Watt University warns that Ukrainians may be four times more likely to experience homelessness than local people.

It highlights how issues can arise for any families trying to break out of temporary accommodation. The move can require financial assurances that even professional people may struggle to provide.

And most landlords would be more likely to choose a Scottish tenant than one from overseas, who will usually struggle to produce a guarantor.

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The news today merely underlines that the chronic lack of homes – in the public and private sector – is putting pressure on every part of the property market.

It further underlines how important it is for the Scottish Government to announce a new strategy on housing that re-evaluates the supply issues in a system well past breaking point.

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