Prime Minister Andy Burnham has called for the ban on alcohol in football stands to be repealed, describing it as outdated and discriminatory against football fans while supporters of other sports can drink.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Burnham said it was unfair for football fans to be singled out when supporters of other sports were able to drink while watching their teams. The ban, introduced during the 1980s amid concerns about hooliganism, covers the top five tiers of English men's football.
Prime Minister's long-held view
Mr Burnham, an Everton fan, said the legislation dated from “an era when football was very different.” He added: “I don't think it's fair for football fans to be singled out in that way and I made that point.”
He suggested changes could be made on a trial basis. “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 from others,” he said.
Mixed reactions from fans and police
The Football Supporters' Association (FSA) welcomed the Prime Minister's comments. FSA chairman Tom Greatrex said: “The FSA has always argued that it's unfair to criminalise football fans for having a pint while watching the match – especially since you can sit in the same seat drinking alcohol whilst watching an Oasis gig or rugby league.”
He noted that successful pilots had been carried out in the women's game, with fans now able to drink in the stands at many grounds. “We welcome the Prime Minister's comments and totally agree that the legislation is outdated and deserves to be reviewed,” he added.
However, police chiefs warned it would be “incredibly rash” to make changes without proper consultation. A UK Football Policing Unit spokesman said: “Other sports simply don't 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.”
Call for consultation
The spokesman said police chiefs would welcome a meeting with Mr Burnham to explain the challenges the proposed changes would bring to policing and safety. “It would be irresponsible to fuel this by allowing greater alcohol consumption during games,” he added.
The ban stems from the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol) Act 1985, which prohibits drinking in sight of the pitch in England and Wales in the top five men's leagues. Mr Burnham previously raised the issue shortly before entering No 10 in July, when he was at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium with friends, including Liverpool metro mayor Steve Rotheram, who were holding pints of beer.
He said at the time: “How come these lads can do that in my seat here when we can't do that at an Everton home game? Something wrong there. I think we need to look at that.”
