Despite its relatively small standing, Scottish league football remains one of the best-supported in Europe, with just under 4% of the population attending matches across the country's four divisions, above even its far more lucrative English neighbour.

Although there are a well-known list of issues and problems with Scottish football, the passion and commitment of supporters across the country remains strong; attending football matches at the weekend is as much as staple of Scottish life as anything else.

Although a genuine love for the game remains as strong as ever in Scottish football, supporters are still suffering with regard to the 'fan experience'. Ticket pricing remains a contentious point, with the debate on what exactly constitutes value for money in the game perennially to the fore. This is reflected in the stadiums, with grounds regularly half empty, due in part to the costly nature of following one's team. It is little wonder that over the last couple of seasons, we have witnessed clubs such as Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Motherwell among others offering flexible ticketing initiatives in a bid to fill the terraces. Even the reigning SPFL champions Celtic have become accustomed to swathes of empty, green seats, in a season where they remain on course for another title.

Once inside the ground however, the Scottish football 'experience' becomes identical to what can be seen across the UK and to a lesser extent, Europe. Since the introduction of all-seater stadia in the early 90s, football grounds have adopted an 'identikit' feel. While there is an appreciation among supporters that this had led to safer and more 'family friendly' facilities, the change in environment and subsequently atmosphere has not been lost on those who regularly attend Scottish football matches. The possible introduction of safe standing areas - considering the widespread success of the German Bundesliga - would prove very popular among fans. In the 2014 National Fans' Survey, conducted by Supporters Direct Scotland in association with the SFA, the vast majority of respondents were in favour of the introduction of safe standing, with strong support for an initial small scale trial. The common belief among fans is that safe standing areas would improve the match-day atmosphere, while simultaneously allowing for a reduction in ticket prices.

Another hot topic for football fans in this country is the controversial topic of the sale and consumption of alcohol in Scottish stadiums; prohibited outwith hospitality areas since 1980. In last year's National Football Survey, 61% of those who participated were in favour of lifting the ban, whilst the prevailing opinion was that the ban had been unsuccessful in reducing crowd disorder and anti-social behaviour. A point of contention for those in favour of lifting the ban is that the alcohol can be purchased and consumed at all other sporting events, rugby being the closest comparison in terms of the nature of the stadia; the predominant question being asked as to why football fans should be unfairly discriminated against when rugby supporters are afforded the opportunity to enjoy an alcoholic beverage while they take in the action. The highly sensitive and political nature of this debate means that any approach to changing the legislation will undoubtedly be a slow process, increasing the frustration felt by many supporters, especially those who seek to find more of the aforementioned 'value for money' in their admission price.

Scottish football may lag severely behind the English Premier League in terms of its ability to attract significant commercial income, but through deals with Sky and BT, fans are able to watch a number of matches live on television over the course of the week. While the exposure this affords the league certainly has a positive impact in attempts to increase interest in the 'product', there is a serious negative consequence for match-going fans. Matches that are chosen to be screened live on television are given rearranged kick-off times and dates, with little notice for supporters. This regularly leaves fans struggling to attend matches, especially if they rely on public transport services. A prime example was seen in this seasons' Scottish Cup, when Dundee United's away fixture to Stranraer was rearranged for a 12.30 kick off on a Sunday, making the match day commute extremely awkward for United fans. The lack of thought for supporters in these circumstances has been a frustration for seasons, even more so considering that the process of ensuring ample notice for any fixture rescheduling would not present a difficult challenge for the game's decision makers.

Football in Scotland continues to pique the public interest, with a significant proportion of the country's population attending matches on a regular basis. The quality of stadiums has improved dramatically over the last few decades, in line with a trend seen in many other European leagues and the atmosphere at matches now allows for a more diverse demographic of fans. However, issues remain for supporters; questionable value for money, the continued lack of alcohol in stadiums and the inconvenient changes to fixtures at short notice means that there is still significant improvement to be made in ensuring a more enjoyable and affordable experience for Scottish football fans.