More than 60 police officers from North America have been coached by Police Scotland ahead of next summer’s World Cup.
It has emerged 64 officers from Canada and the United States travelled over as part of a football learning tour, with three bespoke courses having been delivered so far this year.
Police Scotland have been given such a resounding vote of confidence by their American counterparts that more courses are being staged in the final run-up to the 2026 tournament in June.
Cash-strapped Police Scotland have been earning some much needed income after spotting the lucrative opportunity to cash in on the biggest single sporting event in history.
Police Scotland’s International Academy (PSIA) designed specialist courses for stateside cops, prepping them on the unique challenges presented by policing large-scale international “soccer” matches.
They spotted a money-spinning opportunity after the PSIA – which manages the force’s global training and development – was inundated with enquiries from American agencies about how they deal with the challenges involved in policing football.
They quickly realised large-scale “soccer” matches were not sporting events North American police had any real experience of dealing with.
A force report says: “The PSIA therefore seized the opportunity to design and deliver a bespoke Policing Football programme.”
They engaged with the Scottish Football Association, Celtic and Rangers football clubs, as well as Glasgow City Council to create a tailor-made five-day programme.
There were 24 officers on the first course – six from Canada and 18 from the US – with 23 attending a second course, all from the USA.
The third course hosted 17 officers from across the pond – five from Canada and the rest from the US.
It is estimated up to six million football fans from across the world will descend on 16 cities in Canada, Mexico and the USA from June 11 to July 19, with the sudden influx of millions of highly charged fans set to create new challenges for American cops.
Next year’s extended tournament will be the first World Cup to span an entire continent, with 48 teams taking part in 104 matches – 40 more than before.
Police Scotland have won international recognition for their “proportionate” handling of major events such as the Commonwealth Games, UEFA Euro 2020, golf championships, COP26 and the Cycling World Championships.
During the first “Preparing for Major Football Events” course in March, delegates were given a tour of Police Scotland’s impressive HQ at Tulliallan Castle in Kincardine, Fife and the national football stadium Hampden Park.
They were also given a baptism of fire after attending an Old Firm between Celtic and Rangers at Celtic Park on March 16, with the Glasgow derby notorious for its highly charged and volatile atmosphere.
Around 90 Celtic supporters – many of whom had concealed their identity – were denied entry to the fixture after refusing to be searched by police.
Officers were granted special powers ahead of the Celtic v Rangers game to stop fans they believed to be under “reasonable suspicion” of committing a crime.
A “significant number” of pyrotechnics were also seized during the operation.
According to Police Scotland, feedback from their bespoke training package has been excellent with a “clear appetite for more courses”.
The force report says: “This course has highlighted Police Scotland in a very positive and professional light in terms of major events planning.
“It strengthened the partnerships within Scotland and created new links to law enforcement agencies across North America.”
It added: “The course is fully cost recovered”.
There was no data available on the income generated by the training courses.
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Waddell, lead for Operational Support, said: “We recognise the significance of the World Cup host nations’ law enforcement agencies looking to Police Scotland for learning and best practice.
“I hope the public can take confidence that their police service is being recognised on a global stage for our policing tone, style and proportionate approach as part of our multi-agency work to support football and other major events.
“The safety and security at any event is the responsibility of the event organiser, who may request police support alongside a range of other partners.
“This allows Police Scotland officers to liaise with local police, help them engage with travelling Scotland fans and contribute to supporting a safe event.”
