A loophole in an alcohol ban at football matches permits clubs to serve drinks before the match provided fans are ejected and forced to join the back of the queue at the turnstiles, according to Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy.

Mr Murphy convened a summit of football clubs and authorities at Hampden Park in Glasgow and said he was surprised to learn that many football clubs already serve drinks.

The summit heard about the sale of alcohol at Airdrie while St Mirren recently erected a "fans' zone" marquee to serve alcohol.

However, the current law means fans that have not paid for corporate hospitality tickets are forced to join a last-minute scrum outside while corporate guests go directly to their seats, Mr Murphy said.

This points to "a remarkable double standard" in the current law which must be reformed, he said.

The SNP has welcomed a joint letter published in The Herald newspaper from health experts, domestic violence awareness organisations and academics calling for the restrictions on the sale of alcohol at football matches to remain.

Scottish Green Party co-convener Patrick Harvie and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie have also both outlined their opposition to Labour's views.

But Mr Murphy claims to have SNP MSPs on his side, including former justice secretary Kenny MacAskill and Paisley MSP George Adam who has called for a debate on lifting the ban.

The summit heard from football safety officers who spoke of a "one-for-the-road" culture which creates last-minute crowds jostling to get into the stadium.

Mr Murphy said he wants to transform Scottish football matches from a 90-minute sporting event to "a four-hour day-out for the family", with alcohol served at events in and around the stadium before and after the match.

He insists recent scenes such as the assault on a ten-year-old before an Old Firm match, football-related racism on the Paris underground or the Uefa cup riots involving Rangers fans in Manchester in 2008 should not sustain the impression that all football fans are "knuckle-dragging Neanderthals".

Mr Murphy said: "It surprised me to learn today that there are a number of clubs where supporters can already have a drink in what was previously the corporate hospitality section of the stadium.

"But the rules mean that shortly before kick-off those that are corporate hospitality go from the bar area to their seats while those who aren't corporate hospitality have to leave the stadium and re-enter through the turnstiles with other supporters.

"There's a remarkable double standard there.

"In terms of the law that sort of stuff is already happening.

"We heard from Airdrie and others how it is a real success, and that is the type of thing that we want to see other clubs have to do without the charade of leaving the bar and going back out into the street and re-entering through the turnstile."

He added: "George Adam MSP has tabled a motion in the Scottish Parliament and I think I am right in saying Kenny MacAskill, the former justice secretary, has indicated that he would like to see the law changed as well."

Mr Adam's motion commends St Mirren for "holding what was considered a very successful fans' zone before a Scottish Premiership match, which allowed adults to enjoy an alcoholic drink in a marquee erected in the club's grounds, and encourages trust in football fans to behave in a responsible way at football stadia when consuming alcohol".

Mr Murphy added: "Football has changed so much in three and half decades. Is there still the odd idiot? Absolutely.

"The bottling of that ten-year-old was a cowardly crime, straight and simple.

"What happened with Rangers supporters in Manchester, from an outsider's point of view, was mass crowd consumption of alcohol outside of stadiums.

"What we are talking about is people being allowed to drink for a proscribed period in a supervised way inside the stadium in a controlled environment.

"I have been asked to look at the Chelsea fans in the underground in Paris behaving in a racist way.

"That in itself is sickening and wrong but that has got absolutely nothing to do with permitting the decent vast majority of Scottish football fans the right that is afforded to the decent vast majority of football fans in Germany, England and many other countries across Europe."