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CELTIC are calling for a review of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act to be brought forward by the Scottish Government and have labelled the legislation "unhelpful and counter-productive".

Holyrood introduced the legislation in January 2012 and promised a review after two full football seasons of operation and to report back to Parliament one year later.

However, Celtic believe that there is already sufficient evidence of the Act's "negative impacts" to justify an immediate review.

The Scottish Government rushed through the Act in a did to get tough on sectarianism in the aftermath of the Old Firm ‘shame game’ in 2011.

The legislation gives police and prosecutors new powers to tackle sectarian songs and abuse at and around football matches, as well as threats posted on the internet or through the mail.

It created two distinct offences, punishable through a range of penalties up to a maximum five years in prison and an unlimited fine.

But many football fans believe it has needlessly criminalised supporters and that the police already had plenty of powers under existing laws to deal with any issues arising at a football match.

Celtic opposed the initial legislation as the law only applies to football fans rather than the whole of society.

In a hard-hitting statement the club claim that: "This has led to a sense of discrimination across Scottish football and has brought the law into disrepute when tested in the criminal courts.

"It has also acted as a barrier to our own efforts to encourage supporters to behave in a way which is consistent with the club's proud history and reputation.

"We believe the Scottish Government should review, as a matter of urgency, the way in which this unhelpful and counter-productive Act is operating.

"Celtic have always valued a positive relationship with the police and we are concerned that they too have now been put in the position of enforcing legislation which is provocative and does not command widespread respect.

"The Scottish Government has conceded the need to review the workings of the legislation but we see no need for delay since there is plenty of evidence available, not least from the comments of Sheriffs who have had to deal with cases arising from it.

"It would be helpful if the new season could kick off in August with these issues resolved so that everyone could concentrate on promoting the best possible environment for Scottish football and marginalising unwelcome influences which attach themselves to it."

The Celtic statement came just hours after Roseanna Cunningham, the Scottish Government minister for community safety, said an early review of the legislation would be "nonsensical".

The deadline for the government review is in August 2015 when Stirling University researchers are due to publish their findings into how the law is operating.

But despite the concerns raised by fans about police tactics and the Act in general Cunningham today told MSPs on Holyrood's Justice Committee that no early review would take place as the independent researchers charged with looking at the impact of the legislation won't have finished their work.

The SNP MSP said: "Until August 2014, they haven't got all the information. It's at that point they start to be doing all the analysis of the two full years work.

"We are now a good two years down the line from this being implemented and we're coming close to the end of that two-year review period the Act provided for.

"I just don't really see any great need for that to be changed. I couldn't now step in and ask them to do something differently to what they've been instructed.

"That process, because it's being done independently, because it's being done through Stirling University, is going to give a proper, comprehensive, quality-assured, evidence-based evaluation which will be - I hesitate to say incontrovertible, because nothing is ever incontrovertible - but it will be as solid a piece of work as you could possibly expect."

Asked if anything could happen before the 2015 deadline, such as in interim report, she replied: "No, it would be nonsensical to do something while this review was ongoing when we know the review is going to be published - they're the independent researchers, they're the ones that will be able to tell us something needs to be tweaked or not."