Football booze ban to be lifted?

[spursfan77]

There’s talk of being allowed to drink in your seats from next season if fans are allowed back in. I think there are pros and cons of it surrounded by whether people are idiots or not. I don’t like the thought of being covered in beer when we score as people are bound to be stupid enough to be chucking it everywhere. Also I don’t see how it helps reduce contact along rows as more people would be getting up and moving past you during games. But for normal adults I think it is a good idea. Most of us are grown up enough to sit/stand in our seats and have a beer. If it doesn’t work they can just reverse the decision.

Football's booze ban may be LIFTED to entice fans back into stadiums

EXCLUSIVE BY MIKE KEEGAN: Supporters have been forbidden from drinking within sight of the pitch since 1985, a move brought in when hooliganism was rife but it could now be relaxed.

www.dailymail.co.uk

A lifting of football's 35-year booze ban is being considered among proposals to bring fans back into stadiums, Sportsmail can reveal.

Supporters have been forbidden from drinking within sight of the pitch since 1985, a move brought in when hooliganism was rife.

However, discussions are ongoing over allowing supporters back into venues in a safe manner given the threat of coronavirus. Allowing fans to consume alcoholic beverages in their seats is one of the measures under consideration.

The move would be made primarily to avoid the threat of congestion on concourses where fans - banned from boozing in their seats - often gather en masse to consume their drinks.

 

[Marty]

I'm far from a prohibitionist but if you can't enjoy a football match without beer, why do you bother going to football?

The current rule is fine for me, Clive.

 

[Dougal]

I think it might actually help us get through 90 minutes of Mourinho football. All about the result after all.

 

['O Zio]

Seems unnecessary to me. Far more negatives than positives unfortunately. This isn't even something people complain about anyway is it?

 

[Tucker]

It was only ever banned because of the flawed Taylor report after Hillsborough, where it was (wrongly) accepted that the drunk fans and standing terraces were to blame. Personally I think all the changes in that report should be up for review.

My only concern is the same as @spursfan77 that people will chuck it around when teams score etc. Though this doesn‘t seem to happen at Rugby games (I know it’s a slightly different atmosphere though.)

 

[Insomnia]

I'm far from a prohibitionist but if you can't enjoy a football match without beer, why do you bother going to football?

The current rule is fine for me, Clive.

I think the idea is to stop people congregating at half time en mass to squeeze in a quick pint, most sensible people would just grab a bite and a pint and go to their seats if they could, grab an extra beer after a piss during the game etc.. instead of all queeing up for the 10 minute interval at half time

 

[Wsussexspur]

Not surprised they are considering this rule change. As thought one of the conditions of stadiums re opening would be around the sale of drink/snacks etc at the grounds. Cant see them allowing clubs to sell drinks/snacks etc as they were doing before the pandemic with everyone piled in to the concourse.

Personally not against the rule change its another one of the archaic rules we have around football in this country along with the Saturday 3pm black out. Waiting for that one rea its head again very soon. That needs changing.

 

[spursfan77]

One thing I forgot to add, clubs will love it from a cash perspective. DL will anyway!

 

[dagraham]

I understand the thought process behind it due to the pandemic, but I think it’s a terrible idea. Will mean more alcohol is consumed, meaning more pissed up twats and people constantly getting up bringing back trays of beer like it’s a festival. Not to mention getting covered in beer during the game. It’s bad enough when England are playing in the pub, but I don’t fancy paying over a grand a year for the experience.

Over the years it’s become apparent to me that there are a large number of supporters who are more interested in a piss up than the football and the CL final screening at WHL was an example of this, even though I know it was a special occasion.

I don’t care if this makes me come across as a miserable git, but as mentioned above if you can’t go to the football without consuming beer then maybe you should go to the pub instead.

I know the poor, really hard up football clubs and their billionaire owners will be losing out on revenue, but if they are that worried about overcrowding just don’t sell drinks/food until things return to normal. It’s not that hard is it?

Issue is if this rule is changed then imo it will not be reversed and along with VAR will be another reason for me to think about ditching my ST.

 

[0-Tibsy-0]

Yes - bring back some atmosphere and stop the sanitising of football. Hopefully terraced/standing areas will become the norm again too in time.

 

[dagraham]

Yes - bring back some atmosphere and stop the sanitising of football. Hopefully terraced/standing areas will become the norm again too in time.

I have no issue with bringing back standing sections for those that want to ( in fact I think the all seater stadia was a bit of an overreaction).

This particular alcohol law has been in place though since 1985. There was no “sanitising” of football in the late 80’s/early 90’s when the rule was in place. Unless of course you are also nostalgic for people getting the shit kicked out of them on a regular basis and people throwing chairs about.

 

[jay2040]

I'm far from a prohibitionist but if you can't enjoy a football match without beer, why do you bother going to football?

The current rule is fine for me, Clive.

For some its all about multi tasking!

 

[jay2040]

I understand the thought process behind it due to the pandemic, but I think it’s a terrible idea. Will mean more alcohol is consumed, meaning more pissed up twats and people constantly getting up bringing back trays of beer like it’s a festival. Not to mention getting covered in beer during the game. It’s bad enough when England are playing in the pub, but I don’t fancy paying over a grand a year for the experience.

Over the years it’s become apparent to me that there are a large number of supporters who are more interested in a piss up than the football and the CL final screening at WHL was an example of this, even though I know it was a special occasion.

I don’t care if this makes me come across as a miserable git, but as mentioned above if you can’t go to the football without consuming beer then maybe you should go to the pub instead.

I know the poor, really hard up football clubs and their billionaire owners will be losing out on revenue, but if they are that worried about overcrowding just don’t sell drinks/food until things return to normal. It’s not that hard is it?

Issue is if this rule is changed then imo it will not be reversed and along with VAR will be another reason for me to think about ditching my ST.

At least if you ditch yours someone else may get a chance!

 

[Gassin's finest]

Bad idea imo.

Anyone who went to the screening of the CL final at the ground should remember how messy and unpleasant it got, with people falling over the backs of seats and up stairs. Asking for trouble.

 

[Gassin's finest]

I think it might actually help us get through 90 minutes of Mourinho football. All about the result after all.

 

[Styopa]

I have mixed feelings about this. I can see the logic regarding reducing crowd numbers congregated around the stadium bars at halftime. However we have a massive problem with alcohol in this country and one of the main drivers of that seems to have been the normalisation of alcohol consumption in increasing numbers of social and recreational settings. We are already able to drink whilst e.g. having our hair done in a fancy salon, watching a film in a cinema, watching a live band in concert, watching a play or musical at the theatre, at airports and on flights. Granted, workplace drinking culture does seem to be on the way out and younger people seem to be drinking less. But we are making up for it in other ways. By introducing alcohol consumption to more social spaces we run the risk of setting up the expectation in peoples minds that alcohol is necessary for a good time.

 

[dagraham]

I have mixed feelings about this. I can see the logic regarding reducing crowd numbers congregated around the stadium bars at halftime. However we have a massive problem with alcohol in this country and one of the main drivers of that seems to have been the normalisation of consumption of alcohol in increasing numbers of social and recreational settings. We are already able to drink whilst e.g. having our hair done in a fancy salon, watching a film in a cinema, watching a live band in concert, watching a play or musical at the theatre, at airports and on flights. Granted, workplace drinking culture does seem to be on the way out and younger people seem to be drinking less. But we are making up for it in other ways. By introducing alcohol consumption to more social spaces we run the risk of setting up the expectation in peoples minds that alcohol is necessary for a good time.

It’s far too late in this country sadly. The horse bolted long ago as far as that’s concerned.

 

[Gareth88]

Bad idea imo.

Anyone who went to the screening of the CL final at the ground should remember how messy and unpleasant it got, with people falling over the backs of seats and up stairs. Asking for trouble.

Agree, I ended up with a pint all over me after some prick kicked it off the tier above. I think drinking in the stands would be great in theory but in reality people cant control themselves.

 

[King of Otters]

Bad idea imo.

Anyone who went to the screening of the CL final at the ground should remember how messy and unpleasant it got, with people falling over the backs of seats and up stairs. Asking for trouble.

The CL final was a proper celebration though. People arrived at the stadium hammered.

Think it'll be a slightly more temperate crowd when we play Romanian Farmers FC on a Thursday night.

 

[Shadydan]

If you sit in hospitality at Spurs this was never an issue.