THERE has been a massive spike in football shirt advertising by betting companies prompting public health fears, a Glasgow study found.

The number of shirt sponsorship deals between clubs and gambling bodies in England has increased from four to 75 since 2005, when sponsorship laws were relaxed.

In contrast, researchers said only two out of 12 SPL members had gambling sponsors on their shirts last year: Celtic and Rangers.

However, all of Scotland's senior leagues and cup competitions are backed by bookmakers' firms, while footballers playing in Scotland are prohibited from betting on any matches.

There are growing concerns that gambling is being "normalised" through sport.

Ian Black has suggested Scotland's football authorities should drop gambling firms.

The former Rangers midfielder was punished for a gambling offence in 2013, and has said that reform is needed.

Glasgow academics, based at the University’s Institute of Health and Wellbeing, analysed shirt sponsorship since the English Premier League’s inaugural season of 1992/1993 to present day and the SPL since 1998/99.

Governing bodies of sport and UK legislations are being urged to re-vist the relationship between football and the gambling industry sponsorship.

Dr Chris Bunn, of the Institute of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Glasgow, said: “Sports gambling is growing faster than other types of gambling and potentially has a much more significant impact on younger and more vulnerable people, including those in the global south.

"The intensification of the relationship between football and gambling advertising is highly likely to contribute to the normalisation of gambling, or what some have called the ‘gamblification’ of sports.

"When sponsorship crosses borders, as in the case of the Premier League which has as many as 3 billion viewers globally, it can have costs and consequences for societies less equipped than ours to assist those whose gambling becomes problematic.”

In 2005, the New Labour administration significantly liberalized gambling laws including permitting firms to run television adverts.

The first gambling sponsor appeared on an English Premier League club shirt in 2002/03 and 2014/15 season in the Scottish Premier League.

Robin Ireland, Director of Research at Healthy Stadia said: “We need to be clear that gambling is a public health issue with a significant burden of harm associated with it.

“There is a huge potential for harm in the future with new technological devices driving forms of remote gambling, 24 hours a day.

"Whilst we are aware of high profile footballers who have voiced their concerns, it is now reported that more young football fans bet on the sport than play in a team."

“We suggest that the relationship between football and gambling is now very unhealthy. Both legislators and governing bodies of sport should re-visit the relationship between football in the UK and the sponsorship it receives from the gambling industry with a view to responsible codes of practice.”

An Australian study of adolescents found the ntention to gamble once reaching the age of 18 was associated with participating in and watching televised sports.

Another study has shown that children aged 5–12 are able to associate gambling brands with specific sports and sports clubs.