Fans drinking alcohol risks sending football back to 1980s, club owner warns
Allowing supporters to drink alcohol on the terraces would be “short-sighted” and “send football back to the depths of the ‘80s”, Andy Burnham has been warned.
The Prime Minister has said he wants to end the “discrimination” against football fans, who are banned from drinking pitchside when fans of rugby and cricket are permitted to.
It would end a 41-year ban on the practice, which covers the top five men’s divisions in England, Wales and Scotland through the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol) Act and was introduced amid sweeping reforms to make the game safer and rid it of hooliganism.
Terrace drinking has gradually been phased in at women’s football matches, but Marc White, owner and manager of National League South side Dorking Wanderers, believes Burnham’s comments are misguided.
“It’s very short-sighted,” White told City AM. “The additional money you’ll make by selling alcohol [will be offset because] you’ll drive football back into the depths of the 80s.
“It’s now very much a family, well-marshalled game. Drinking is allowed pitchside in non-league football but ultimately when alcohol is around, antisocial behaviour increases and the more the crowd increases, the more that becomes a big problem.
“Any relaxing of those laws would not be good for the game.”
Boozing at the football backed?
Burnham is facing a backlash from the police too, with the UK Football Policing Unit stating: “It would be incredibly rash to make fundamental changes without a full examination of the evidence and consultation with police practitioners who have expertise in this.”
The Prime Minister joined fellow Everton fan and Canadian leader Mark Carney at the Hill Dickinson Stadium this month, while the MPs’ register of interests lists tickets worth £677 were given to the former Mayor of Manchester for access to the club’s directors’ lounge.
“But I’m not going to back away from what’s been a long-held view of mine,” Burnham said. “I don’t see how it can be fair that some supporters of one sport can be treated differently.”