An Old Firm fixture is always likely to focus the mind on some of the old problems of football, and so it is no surprise that the upcoming game between Celtic and Rangers has reignited the debate about sectarianism and whether enough is being done, by the Scottish Government and the clubs, to tackle it.

The charity Nil by Mouth believes the answer is no. The charity, which campaigns against sectarianism, has accused the football authorities and the Scottish Government of failing to act. In particular, the charity is disappointed at the lack of progress in implementing, or even discussing, the recommendations made in last year's Morrow Report.

It is hard not to share in that disappointment. The report, by the Belfast academic, activist and politician Duncan Morrow, included a number of recommendations, some very specific, others less so, on tackling sectarianism in the Scottish game.

But 11 months on, no action has been taken on any of them. The most significant was that clubs should be punished when their fans misbehaved, in the way that some European clubs have been recently after incidents of racism.

But the opposition of the Scottish football authorities to the idea has been clear from the start. Some clubs appear to take the view that they should not be punished for what may be the actions of a few unruly fans.

There were will be many football fans, particularly among the vast majority for whom sectarianism is abhorrent, who will agree with that but this remains a persistent, albeit small, problem in Scottish football and it is likely to persist unless more action is taken at all levels. The Scottish Government's confusing Offensive Behaviour At Football And Threatening Communications Act has demonstrated that you cannot arrest your way of sectarianism. It may be that it is only when there are real consequences for the clubs themselves that change is likely to happen.

Further legislation would not be needed for this to happen: the Scottish football authorities could enact the change tomorrow.

But, in the absence of a lack of will to do so, Nil by Mouth is right to call on the Scottish Football Association and the Scottish Professional Football League to be questioned by MSPs.

It is already clear that punishing clubs is unlikely to solve the problem on its own, as the experience of tackling homophobia and racism in football shows.

Those problems, although by no means eradicated, have been reduced partly by campaigns by government, charities, clubs and players but they cost money and, as Dr Morrow suggested in his report, Scotland's clubs could perhaps do more to finance more projects on sectarianism.

Which of these ideas should be taken forward remains a subject for argument but, at least, there will now be a debate at Holyrood in the coming days.

When he delivered his report last year, Dr Morrow said Scotland was tired of sectarianism and ready for change. It is for the Scottish Government and the men and women who run our national game to ensure that such change happens.