Prime Minister Andy Burnham has signalled that he may lift the ban on drinking alcohol in the stands at football matches, arguing it is unfair for football supporters to be singled out when fans of other sports are not similarly restricted.
Burnham, a committed Everton fan who still attends matches, said there was a case for trialling an end to the ban to bring football in line with rugby and cricket. He has long opposed the ban, describing it as discriminatory and out of date, and linking it to an era when football violence was fuelled by drinking within view of the pitch.
Speaking to reporters on a plane to New York, Burnham said: “I don’t think it’s fair for football fans to be singled out in that way and I made that point. I think that legislation dates to an era where football was very different. And I do believe there is a case to remove that discrimination.
“There are different ways it could be done, perhaps on a trial basis. But I’m not going to back away from what’s been a long-held view of mine. I don’t see how it can be fair that some supporters of one sport can be treated differently.”
The ban is set out in the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985, which prohibits drinking in sight of the pitch in England and Wales. The fan-led review of football governance in 2021 called for the ban to be re-examined and suggested piloting the sale of alcohol within sight of the pitch in lower-tier English football.
The move was welcomed by the Football Supporters’ Association and the English Football League, but police warned it would be “incredibly rash” to make changes without considering their impact on safety. A spokesperson for the EFL said it would be “receptive” to a review of legislation that “was introduced more than 40 years ago and has not kept pace with significant developments in stadium management, safety and stewarding”.
Tom Greatrex, chair of the Football Supporters’ Association, said the FSA had always argued it was unfair to criminalise football fans for having a pint while watching the match, especially since supporters can sit in the same seat drinking alcohol while watching an Oasis gig or rugby league. He welcomed the prime minister’s comments, agreed the legislation was outdated and deserved to be reviewed, and said the FSA looked forward to being part of the consultation.
Police, however, warned against making changes without a full assessment. A spokesperson for the UK Football Policing Unit, which coordinates football policing policy in England and Wales, said the unit would welcome a meeting with the prime minister to discuss his views and explain the challenges the proposed changes would bring to policing and the safety of staff and fans.
The UKFPU spokesperson said other sports simply do not see the violence and criminal behaviour from their supporters that football does, “albeit a minority, with alcohol often playing a significant part in violent and disorderly behaviour”. They said it would be irresponsible to fuel this by allowing greater alcohol consumption during games, adding that changes in legislation followed the Taylor report into the 1989 Hillsborough disaster for good reason and that the current period is the longest ever without a significant football-related disaster. They described it as “incredibly rash” to make fundamental changes without a full examination of the evidence and meaningful consultation with police practitioners.
The debate comes after supporters at Women’s Super League and WSL2 matches were permitted to drink alcohol in view of the pitch from the start of this season. The change followed a successful 18-month trial period and a change to the WSL’s regulations this summer, which allowed clubs – but did not oblige them – to give fans the option. Since the rule change, 25 of the 26 clubs across the two divisions of English women’s football have decided to take up the option at all of their home games. The only exception is Brighton & Hove Albion’s home matches at Crawley’s Broadfield Stadium, though Brighton have permitted fans to drink in view of the pitch when the team play at the Amex Stadium, such as last Sunday when they hosted Aston Villa. Women’s matches have typically seen fewer incidents of crowd trouble.