A new YouGov poll has revealed that most football fans do not want the ban on drinking alcohol from the stands to be overturned, despite Prime Minister Andy Burnham recently branding the restriction “discrimination”.
Majority Backs Existing Ban
The survey found that 64% of Brits believe the ban should remain in place, with only 26% wanting it scrapped. Among the most regular match-goers, 63% support the ban, while 35% would like to see current rules changed.
Laws banning alcohol while watching live football have been in force since 1985, when hooliganism was widespread in Britain. The restrictions apply to clubs in the top five tiers of men’s football, meaning fans cannot drink in view of the pitch, though no other sport faces the same rules.
Match-Day Experience Concerns
Over half (53%) of people who have attended at least one match believe allowing fans to drink alcohol in view of the pitch would make the match-day experience worse. Only 17% said it would make no difference, while 20% thought it would improve things.
Among regular attendees, 33% believe game days would be improved by drinking in the stands, although a larger share (41%) think it would be made worse.
PM’s Stance and History
Burnham, a season ticket holder at Premier League club Everton, suggested a change could be trialled while speaking in New York earlier in the week. He said: “I think that legislation dates back to an era where football was very different.”
“And I do believe there is a case to remove that discrimination … I don’t see how it can be fair that some supporters of one sport can be treated differently.”
The current legislation was introduced by Margaret Thatcher’s government, with the then-Home Secretary Leon Brittan declaring alcohol a “major contributory factor in violent and disorderly behaviour” in football grounds.
