The complex relationship Scottish football has with supporters has been highlighted by an annual UEFA report.

European football’s governing body published its benchmarking study into the state of the game across the continent, which once again made clear the key role fans hold at the heart of the sport.

The Scottish public’s appetite for live football remains insatiable with Premiership crowds rising by 12% in 2015/16.

A total of 2,201,340 fans walked through the turnstiles, up from 1,974,292. The increase was the sixth biggest increase across Europe.

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Crucially, money from gate receipts accounts for 37% of revenue for Scottish clubs, a percentage which is higher than any other country in Europe’s 53 leagues.

Those figures alone should be welcomed as busier stadiums improve atmosphere as well as the image of the league as a whole.

Clubs and their fans form the foundation of so many communities and one of the most enjoyable parts of STV’s Premiership Pilgrimage this summer was meeting and talking to fans about how much their team means to them and their area.

It is important to exercise caution, however, and realise that not all is rosy in the garden.

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Talk to supporters in person or on social media and feelings of frustration and a general sense of dissatisfaction remains over the product on offer.

In regular life that mix of loyalty and dissatisfaction rarely coexists. Using a well-worn argument, if you were not happy with service at a supermarket, restaurant or cinema then you would simply take your business elsewhere.

Generally it takes a lot more to push a football supporter to stay away but it is a line clubs should be wary of nonetheless.

Last year, a Supporters Direct Scotland survey showed ticket prices were seen as the biggest factor in influencing a fan’s decision over whether or not to attend a match, with almost 70% feeling prices represented either poor or very poor value.

In short, clubs need to ensure supporters and their loyalty are never taken for granted.

While many have tried one-off offers and deals, more long-term, joined up pricing agreements between clubs, or giving punters more for their money than just 90 minutes, are required to help solve this issue.

On air: Broadcast deals make up 13% of total revenue. SNS

Football’s relationship with TV is at the heart of the modern game. In the wider world it is understandable that major leagues with major broadcasting deals are in thrall to the whims of the companies.

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While the money Scotland gets from its broadcast deals is not to be disrespected, the current value of the agreements should not give them the muscle broadcasters have elsewhere.

Broadcast cash accounts for 13% of total revenue for Scottish clubs. BT Sport, Sky and BBC provide a multitude of coverage for devotees and those with a passing interest.

But the league is often accused of prioritising their concerns over that of the fans and the periodic announcement of games being moved for television inevitably brings complaints from fans.

If it is not fans from the north being asked to travel south for lunchtime kick-offs, then followers of central belt teams are being asked to make long journeys over the festive period.

Since the collapse of Setanta, and the subsequent financial implosion at Rangers, Scottish football has had an uneasy relationship with broadcast partners.

There was a time when Scottish professional football would have been killed stone dead if they pulled the plug.

The UEFA report shows standing up for a better deal should no longer hold fear for those in charge.

Neil Doncaster: SPFL chief, centre, is not popular with fans. SNS

Then there’s the lack of confidence in the game’s authorities.

Viewed by many as distanced from the average fan’s experience and more at home with spreadsheets than supporters’ buses, it is worth bearing in mind that as chief executive Neil Doncaster’s job is to implement the wishes of 42 clubs.

Nevertheless there is a clear disconnect at the heart of the game which the SPFL chief does little to mend.

Major changes to league structure, as well as this season’s League Cup, were implemented with little to no consultation with supporters, while the SPFL has a real issue over a lack of transparency.

Just this week, STV revealed two disciplinary cases dating back to 2015 matches between Rangers and Hibernian as well as Hearts and Dundee United had been settled last year without the outcome being communicated to the public.

It is impossible to have faith in the league’s ability to regulate member clubs when they refuse to give any details on important matters.

Football’s place at the centre of Scottish culture remains unquestionable, with the sport dominating discussions in households, pubs and offices throughout the land on a daily basis.

Yet many who passionately follow the sport feel they are stigmatised, treated as second-class citizens under the controversial Offensive Behaviour at Football Act.

When considering this alongside scheduling, communication and policing would lead you to think fans are an inconvenience or window dressing for televised games.

Talk of fans as the emotional core of the game seems little more than rhetoric at times but it does not have to be that way.

Nobody likes or wants the lifelong fan to simply be treated as a customer but their cash is vital to the well-being of any side.

UEFA’s report includes some eye-watering numbers that would puzzle and amaze the great Jock Stein in equal measure.

When viewing the figures specific to Scotland, his most famous quote, “football is nothing without fans”, has rarely seemed so apt.