https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footb ... ifted.html

Sunderland are among clubs calling for a lift on the alcohol ban from the stands at stadiums.


The Black Cats are in favour of a pilot scheme, along with other sides including Ipswich Town, Doncaster Rovers, Accrington Stanley, Port Vale, Forest Green Rovers, Lincoln City, Tranmere Rovers and Northampton Town.
'At the Stadium of Light, concert-goers can watch Kings of Leon whilst enjoying a pint, but cannot when watching their football team, a Sunderland spokesperson told talkSPORT. 'This seems discriminatory to football fans.'

Grimsby Town, Newport County and Gillingham are among other sides interested in discussing the issue which has also received support from Liverpool podcast The Anfield Wrap.
For years alcohol was deemed as a contributor to the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 that killed 96 Liverpool fans.


What do you think?

I would enjoy a drink at the ground although if it means a potential increase in pitch invaders/hooligans/violence and possible fines then I'm out.

my own opinion is that it's still not yet a good idea.
keep it in the bar where stewards can prevent an idiot from taking his/her alcohol fuelled thoughts to the stand. It's already choice enough in the stands sometimes such as our recent home thrashing when a fan thought my 8 year old nephew should be introduced by him to the punctuation form known as the C-bomb. the fact he was already hammered suggests alcohol helped him formulate this delightful social nicety.

not for me.

Fans can drink for 3 or 4 hours before a game and throw 1 or 2 more down at half time if they want to so not sure the 45 mins each half makes much difference
Always thought it daft that a beer in a plastic pot cannot be taken to your seat but a boiling hot coffee or bovril can at the risk of spilling it on the person sat in front of you
Lift the ban just don't serve anyone obviously drunk
Just my opinion of course

Whilst appreciating rugby crowds can be/are different from football crowds where beer/alcohol can be freely drunk from spectator seating, I personally would be against the idea. I was a steward for a number of years at the millennium stadium for both rugby internationals and football play offs and FA cup finals. One of the biggest and most frequent nuisances were people walking back and forth carrying multiple glasses of alcohol and people frequently wanting to go back and forth to the toilets, thus creating an almost constant stream of spectators leaving or entering the viewing areas throughout the match thus inconveniencing others. Although I wasn't personally involved in any outbreaks of violence because of this it certainly often irritated many spectators, thus increasing the possibility, and as we all know sadly there are, albeit only a few, who are more prone to being violent or verbally offensive the more under the influence they are.

worksop amber wrote:Fans can drink for 3 or 4 hours before a game and throw 1 or 2 more down at half time if they want to so not sure the 45 mins each half makes much difference
Always thought it daft that a beer in a plastic pot cannot be taken to your seat but a boiling hot coffee or bovril can at the risk of spilling it on the person sat in front of you
Lift the ban just don't serve anyone obviously drunk
Just my opinion of course

Sensible attitude, given the behaviour at rugby international matches, football fans even when smashed behave like kids on a Sunday school outing.

In our position, we are on a final warning with the FA over the behaviour of a section of our fans and any revenue would go to the WRU. Doesn't seem to have much in it for us unless talking about hospitality areas.

Amberexile wrote:In our position, we are on a final warning with the FA over the behaviour of a section of our fans and any revenue would go to the WRU. Doesn't seem to have much in it for us unless talking about hospitality areas.

That’s less to do with alcohol than with idiocy. However, I do agree with you that on current terms, there’s nothing in it for us.

Asking for trouble, there'll be stickers covering everyone in sight on away days.

The law is in desperate need of a review, as are the attitudes of many (although not all) police forces towards football fans.

I'm not a big / binge drinker, so it makes zero sense that I might pop down to the concourse at half time, have a wee, spend ten minutes queuing for a pint and then have to knock it back at triple-speed in order to not miss the second half. People downing pints and rushing back in is far more dangerous IMHO than letting people take their pint pot back through and finish it at their seat / terrace.

Until a couple of years ago I would have backed this, but not since going to Wales v Fiji in the RU World Cup in Cardiff with a seat near the end of a row. As Old Cromwellian says, it's a constant stream of people walking in front of you to go for beer or for a pee.

Can''t see any justification for the ban in hospitality areas, though.

When in Oz I used to take in Perth Glory home games. Crowds usually 6-10,000. They served mid strength (3.5%) beer and small bottles of wine all in plastics ... People would quite happily stand/sit sipping their drinks - no issues that I saw in 4 years of watching.

(Non league) step3/4 games allow plastic beakers of beer to be taken out. (Not sure about steps 1/2)

League football seems to be the 'odd sport out' in terms of having a beer and watching - stuck in the 1980s ..

rgds Dave

Australia v NZ rugby league at The Stoop a few years ago was bad but not as bad as Cardiff.

Jack - Admin wrote:Asking for trouble, there'll be stickers covering everyone in sight on away days.

This is an important thread.

Can you sticky it?..........

George Street-Bridge wrote:Until a couple of years ago I would have backed this, but not since going to Wales v Fiji in the RU World Cup in Cardiff with a seat near the end of a row. As Old Cromwellian says, it's a constant stream of people walking in front of you to go for beer or for a pee.

Can''t see any justification for the ban in hospitality areas, though.

That’d be my position too. The alcohol and sports grounds act should be repealed but alcohol should not be allowed to be carried into the stands to mitigate the problem you describe. This could be policed by the stewards, hip flasks should be allowed as no inconvenience to others in the row. Would allow a drink on the travelling coaches too.