SPL court victory in foreign satellite case

The Scottish Premier League (SPL) has notched up its first- ever court victory against a licensee for showing foreign satellite football.

The licensee of the Spirit bar in Glasgow's East End has been ordered by Scotland's Court of Session to stop using a foreign system to show SPL games.

The host would be in contempt of court if he continued to use the system.

The bar was caught showing games in the "closed period" - between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on Saturdays - which football body UEFA has ruled out-of-bounds to protect attendance at stadiums.

But the Court's injunction - known as an "interim interdict" - is not limited to closed period screenings. It relates to use of "decoders to access overseas broadcasts of Bank of Scotland Premier League Matches, which are not intended for access in Scotland."

An SPL spokesman said the group had been monitoring the use of foreign satellites to broadcast football in pubs since the problem surfaced last season, but this is the first time court action had been taken.

"We are delighted with today's judgement," said the spokesman.

"Working with our clubs we will continue to monitor licensed premises and will take all necessary court action against offending pubs and clubs.

"The judgement in favour of the SPL should serve as a warning to others possessing and using, or thinking about using, decoders in this manner.

"It should also be noted that we have received widespread support for our action from law-abiding publicans across the country whose legitimate trade is being damaged by this unlawful practice."

The MA was unable to contact the Spirit bar for a comment.