January 10 – Drinking alcohol in the stands of English football grounds and stadium areas with views of the pitch was banned in 1985, however, four championship clubs from the women’s game will now take part in a new pilot program to allow fans to drink alcohol in the stands.
The banning order, which was enacted due to hooliganism, covers the top five tiers of the English men’s game, but the legislation does not cover the women’s game, allowing the programme to go ahead.
The order also made drunken entry to a game illegal, which included drinking alcohol within view of the pitch from 15 minutes before the start of the match to 15 minutes after the end of the match, and consuming alcohol in specific coaches, trains, and cars while attending a football game.
The four clubs, Bristol City, Southampton, Birmingham, and Newcastle will trail the scheme in selected games in the second half of the season.
In October, Nikki Doucet, the chief executive of the Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL) had said trials would be taking place; “We are testing that in a couple of teams in the Championship this season and we’ll see what we learn from that,” said Doucet.
“I think our fan base and the behaviour is different (to the men’s game), and I think ultimately it’s about being able to give our fans choices, while obviously maintaining the safety and what we need to do in terms of being responsible.”
The first matches to trail the scheme will be at Bristol City’s, Aston Gate, and at St. Mary’s, the home of Southampton.
Currently, in the top five tiers of the men’s game, fans can drink in private suites as long as curtains are drawn to close off the view of the pitch. They can also drink at bars in the concourse of the stadium. This situation has led to supporters pre-loading at nearby pubs, and then necking back pints at breakneck speed during the half-time interval.
Hopefully, this trial run will be successful and allow supporters to drink comfortably while watching their teams.
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at moc.l1736502668labto1736502668ofdlr1736502668owedi1736502668sni@o1736502668fni1736502668