The plans are being considered and set to be approved
Football fans could be allowed to drink alcohol in the stands of stadiums for the first time in 37 years under new government plans which are set to be announced this summer.
As per the Daily Mail, ministers have agreed to review the current situation where alcohol consumption in football stadiums has been banned across the top five leagues in the English football pyramid since 1985.
The report also suggests that a pilot test scheme will be sanctioned to assess how safe it is to drink alcohol while in view of the game and if successful, it could mean it makes a permanent return to the football match day experience.
The idea was proposed in a fan-led review organised by Tracey Crouch
Calls to reintroduce the regulation were initially recommend by former sports minister Tracey Crouch, who added the idea into the report of her fan-led review of football, which was published in November.
On Monday, the government announced the go-ahead for an independent football regulator to be implemented, although no time frame on when it would officially come into place was mentioned.
A huge step forward for football https://t.co/JU6MxRuhcJ
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) April 25, 2022
Drinking inside football stadiums was one of 10 recommendations made to help improve football in the report, with full details set to be mapped out in the summer.
Other sports in England allow fans to drink alcohol in the stands of stadiums during games and fan groups have advised that this should be implemented to bring football up to speed.
EFL clubs have previously stated that they are missing out on a source of revenue due to the current ban and that they could benefit from an average increase in income of £2 per fan should the ban be reversed.
Police officers are concerned lifting the ban could lead to more trouble
Despite the plans, it is likely to be met with resistance from the UK Football Policing Unit. The UK’s top policing football officer, Chief Constable Mark Roberts of Cheshire Police previously claimed it would be “madness” to lift the ban.
“It is unpicking something which is designed to make things safer for fans,” he said in November.
“Many would say that they do not want it anyway and would not welcome fans in front of them getting up during games to go and buy alcohol.
“It is being proposed at a time when we are seeing many worrying instances of violence at football at all levels, so the timing is bizarre.”
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