- Rangers would be impacted by the latest Green Party manifesto
- The Greens are taking a tough stance on gambling and alcohol sponsorship
- The manifesto could bring uncertain times for Scottish football
The Scottish Green Party has released its latest manifesto ahead of the Holyrood elections in 2026.
The far-left political party has released several pledges, with Rangers and Scottish football affected.
William Hill is the sponsor of the SPFL leagues, while Glens Vodka is an official partners, but that could all change.
The Scottish Greens have long argued that the glamorisation of harmful products through sport is a public health crisis.
The Scottish Greens want to ban all sponsorship related to ‘health-harming industries,’ including alcohol and betting companies.
However, the Green Party doesn’t have a solution yet that they’ve released to the public, which is a major cause for concern.
How it could affect Rangers
Firstly, Rangers announced a deal with the Kindred Group in 2024, giving them two gambling brand partnerships.
Unibet is the sponsor of the in-game strip, while 32Red sponsors the training wear. Both brands are now owned by France’s FDJ.
The Green Party’s proposal includes stadium branding and naming rights.
Rangers have partnership deals with alcohol brands for pouring rights within the stadium’s bars and hospitality suites.
A total ban on alcohol sponsorship might not stop the sale of beer, but it would stop the club from receiving millions in partnership fees from breweries.
Rangers recently reported record revenues of £94.1 million.
A huge portion of the club’s £67m commercial revenue (as per the 2024 report) comes from these high-value sectors.
The killing of gambling and alcohol sponsorship would create an even wider gap between Scotland and European football clubs.
Could it kill Scottish football?
In 2024, the Scottish Professional Football League gained a £10 million deal with William Hill for the rights to the top four Scottish Leagues.
Would the Green Party wipe out the most influential sponsor in Scottish football?
Celtic is sponsored by Dafabet, while Dundee United is sponsored by Quinn Casino.
Bevvy.com is the shirt sponsor of Hibernian, a Whisky database company.
It’s true that Scottish football is probably too reliant on betting sponsorship to keep the league at the level it is.
However, the Green Party hasn’t yet released a solution to fix the absence of sponsorship money.
The Greens said, “We believe sport should be about the joy in taking part in physical activity.”
“Not about huge profits or industries that harm our health and extract wealth from sporting achievements.”
“That’s why we want to see sport take place in an environment which promotes health, free from alcohol and gambling sponsorship.”
Read Rangers analysis
Handcuffing Rangers and Scottish football in general could have a huge effect on how the clubs perform in Europe.
A lack of sponsorship could cause the best players in the league to leave, unilaterally lowering the standard of the league.
The Green Party’s manifesto could have devastating consequences for the whole of Scottish football.
Especially when they haven’t released a strategy to fill the huge void that would be left.
The election takes place on May 7, 2026. What do you make of the manifesto?
