The national police lead for football has said it would be a "bad idea" to reintroduce drinking at football games. Cheshire Constabulary Chief Constable Mark Roberts, who has been the national lead for football policing and covert legislation and guidance since 2014, spoke ahead of his retirement.
Call to Keep the Ban
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said last month that the ban on football fans drinking in the stands was unfair and should be scrapped. Mr Roberts said he would "absolutely" urge Mr Burnham against overturning the ban, noting that football had become much safer because of legislation, improvements in stadia, and engagement with fans.
He told the Press Association: "The danger now is complacency because we haven't had tragedies or significant widespread disorder. You start removing one of those strands and it starts unpicking it all."
Safety and Fan Experience
Mr Roberts, a Manchester City supporter, said getting a "beer shampoo" when a goal was scored was "not conducive to a great afternoon". He added: "Football's in a pretty good way at the minute. It's safe. People feel safe to go. In terms of the drinking thing, people can drink before, they can drink at half-time, they can drink after. I go to games. I don't think there's any great massive desire for it."
The Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol) Act 1985 prohibits drinking in sight of the pitch in England and Wales in the top five men's leagues. Mr Roberts said: "The legislation and policy is to target behaviour, not groups of people, and, unfortunately, historically football had an issue with it."
Background and Next Steps
Mr Roberts said he had been policing football since 2009 and watching Manchester City play since 1977. He said: "Everything I've seen in that period as a fan and in policing kind of suggests that it will be a bad idea."
Last month, a UK Football Policing Unit spokesman said police chiefs would welcome a meeting with Mr Burnham to "explain the challenges these proposed changes would bring to policing and the safety of staff and fans". Mr Roberts will stand down from his position next month after 33 years in policing.
