TRNSMT can show World Cup game after local objections rejected
PA MediaTRNSMT music festival will be able to show one of Scotland's World Cup games after residents' efforts to block the plan failed.
Scotland's men's national team is due to play Morocco in their second fixture of the competition at 23:00 on 19 June - the first night of the Glasgow festival.
Community councils in areas surrounding the event in Glasgow Green objected to organisers DF Concerts attempting to secure a licence to screen the match.
They argued that extending the curfew from 23:00 to 01:00 would cause even more noise and disruption for neighbours.
However Glasgow City Council's licensing committee granted a temporary public entertainment licence for the event as a one-off.
Scotland's men's team are making their first appearance at a World Cup since 1998, with the fixture on 19 June kicking off shortly after former Verve singer Richard Ashcroft has headlined TRNSMT.
The festival previously announced it would change set times so the match could be shown.
Tricia Fort, the chair of Calton Community Council, said the extended licence goes "way beyond what we have accepted in the past for TRNSMT", which usually runs for three nights with a 23:00 curfew each evening.
She added: "At the end of the game, the crowds will be dispersed, many of them having spent 14 hours on Glasgow Green.
"They will be getting into taxis, private cars, buses, whatever, causing noise and disruption in the area."
Gordon Millar, of Merchant City and Trongate Community Council, added: "There is already enough chaos as it is between 11 and midnight when they leave.
"It's one thing having the three to five am nightclub people heading home, some with a bit more spirit than others, but having several hundred, if not thousands, of people doing it would obviously be thoroughly unacceptable."
Both community council representatives suggested TRNSMT attendees could watch the match in city centre pubs instead.
However Stephen McGowan, the licensing lawyer representing DF Concerts, said: "What pub in the city has the same level of medical care, police attention, security, staff etc that TRNSMT would have? I think the answer to that is probably none."
He added: "I think it's true that this is absolutely a one-off, once in a generation event. My clients have never asked for a licence until 1am before, I think the rarity of this is something the committee can have regard to."
He added dispersal from the festival would be much worse if there was a rush at the end of the event, with people hurrying into the city centre to watch the match.
McGowan said there had been no objection from Police Scotland to the plan and highlighted there is an expected economic benefit of £20m to Glasgow from hosting TRNSMT.
Commentary will be played during the game but DF Concerts say it will be significantly lower than noise made by bands that have played earlier on.
