The objector believed allowing televised sport would turn the Bell Street venue into “yet another Celtic pub” underneath flats, which is “very anti-social” for residents.
She was one of six people to oppose the bid but the city’s licensing board approved the change. The applicant agreed to prevent visitors from wearing football colours.
A Police Scotland representative said the force had “one call specific to that premises last year, in which sectarian singing was mentioned”. When officers attended, there was “nothing ongoing at the time”.
The officer said: “There was nothing to confirm that the premises were involved.
“There were large numbers of individuals outside various premises at that point.”
A council official said there were four noise complaints related to the premises in December, but when staff arrived “no noise nuisance was witnessed”.
Archie MacIver, the licensing lawyer representing the owners, insisted the new venue would be a restaurant, rather than a sports bar.
The objector said: “I’ve lived in the building for over 20 years now and I’ve just witnessed the decline of the area. It’s almost a no-go sectarian area in Glasgow now. It’s making our lives intolerable.”
She said people are outside until 2am or 3am and the new plan would see anti-social behaviour “extend around the corner”.
Another objector was concerned about the “lack of diversity in the area” and the “erosion of the residential amenity”.
He said: “It’s not a noise objection. I realise where I’ve chosen to live.”
He believed the plan would narrow the appeal of the Merchant City, which is “already a concentrated area of football support”.
However, he later added: “If we are talking about non-club coloured individuals seated within a restaurant, watching some sporting event, I don’t think that’s a problem.”
Mr MacIver said the building, which is currently empty, is “located in a run of licensed premises” and the “main theme that runs through the objections is noise, nuisance, public disorder”.
He added: “I think we all know from past experience that there are other premises in the area that have been subject to similar complaints.”
Mr MacIver said it would be a “food-led operation” and there was “not an attempt to turn this into a pub”.
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He said: “This year is a big sporting year. We’ve got the Olympics, we’ve got the European Championship football matches, we’ve got Wimbledon, the Open at Troon etc.
“There’s a host of sporting events and they wish to have the opportunity that people who are out having something to eat can see what is going on.”
However, an objector said: “It’s entirely green and white flags, which is fine if they stay in the bar and don’t intrude on anybody’s lives. But this is now becoming a no-go sectarian area, and it’s embarrassing.”
Mr MacIver said there had been complaints in the area but “not from these particular premises”. He said the licence already allowed live music and he was “not aware” of any noise issues relating to that.
He added the restaurant would be seated, with table service, and the licence holder has spoken to an acoustic consultant to see whether any measures to limit noise are required.
He said: “We can’t alter the geographical location of the premises.
“Will there be supporters in the Merchant City? Of course, there will, particularly when there’s a big game. It is popular with a certain football club demographic.”
But he added the premises “will not be seeking to attract that clientele”. “If somebody wants to come in for a bite to eat, fine, no problem.”
The licence holder is in talks with a potential tenant and the changes have been made to “get the licence lined up with the tenant’s wishes”.
The venue was previously kebab restaurant Der Berliner which closed in November last year, with the premises then briefly operating as a bar named Apostel.
