FOOTBALL bosses are taking legal action against two Glasgow pubs which screened games illegally.

Landlords of The Drop, in Waterloo Street, and The Viceroy, in Paisley Road West, are among the premises targeted by the Premier League.

Monteiths in Gourock, Inverclyde, is also facing action.

These are the first actions the Premier League has taken against pubs in Scotland and follow successful High Court injunctions, and costs awards of up to £65,000, made against dozens of pubs in England and Wales last season.

Unauthorised foreign broadcasts of Premier League football, which breach the League's copyright, were shown in the pubs.

Interim interdicts - awarded by the Court of Session - are now in place against all three of the pubs.

A Premier League spokesman said: "We are currently undertaking our largest ever investigations programme and have commenced legal action against several pubs in England, Wales, and Scotland, and will continue to do so.

"We are also targeting the suppliers of systems which allow pubs to make illegal broadcasts of our matches.

"In December 2014 one supplier was jailed for nine months and we have commenced legal action against several others.

"Sky Sports and BT Sport make a significant investment in the Premier League's live UK broadcasting rights which benefits the Premier League, the wider English game and beyond.

"We remind publicans that Sky Sports and BT Sport are the only authorised broadcasters of live Barclays Premier League football in the UK.

"And that legal action will be taken against pubs that show unauthorised broadcasts of our matches."