Spectators drinking at the Park View bar outside Turf Moor, home of Burnley FC (Credit: Colin McPherson/Corbis via Getty Images)
24 September 2021, saw one of the biggest yet controversial debates spread across the whole country. It launched after former sports minister and current Conservative MP Tracey Crouch, recommended changes in policy towards drinking alcohol when seated inside football stadiums, long after it was banned in 1985 to put a stem on football hooliganism.
This highly emotive subject will of course have different perspectives, but helping to unlock and explore the spectators’ minds, it’s only a clear and obvious sign of what they wish to have. Now, more than ever, there is no doubt football has taken a turn dramatically in the 36-years since the act. Hooliganism in English football was a bigger problem in the eighties, now it’s far less frequent inside stadiums.
In result, there is a growing campaign to allow football fans the chance of the same freedoms that supporters of rugby, cricket and other sports enjoy. This scheme is set to be tested in smaller stadiums across the National League and League Two and could be rolled out across all levels of the professional game, including the Premier League if successful. The boost in club revenue would be so beneficial, especially after the pandemic, but it's predominantly about treating fans better and trusting them to drink responsibly.
For many decades, it’s always been questioned whether English supporters can be trusted. History tells us otherwise; you only have to look back on Euro 2016 when 37 England fans were arrested resulting in UEFA threatening to disqualify England if any more violence was caused. Having a good-natured rivalry is brilliant, but fans fueled by alcohol it too often escalates into unnecessary tribalism and violence.
Bianca Westwood, broadcast journalist for Sky Sports, said: “It’s a shame that some people spoil It for others but you only have to look at what happened at Wembley this summer to see that there are fans who can’t be trusted.
“At least inside the ground for a couple of hours they can sober up a bit even if they arrive drunk. People can have a beer at half-time that should be sufficient.”
Alcohol has always been seen as a negative leaving it hard to find any positives:
Euro 2016: French Police fired tear gas in Marseille
England fans break through security ahead of Euro 2020 final
Given the events at Wembley, one of the first advocates to speak out about the irresponsible behaviour was footballs policing lead, chief constable Mark Roberts. Britain’s new top football police chief at Cheshire Constabulary’s came out on 24 September 2021 insisting we do not need more alcohol in football.
Many question why other sports such as cricket, rugby and darts haven’t taken counter-measures. This is simply down to the fact you don’t see violence and criminal behaviour from the supporters that football does. Since the Euro 2020 final and the return of fans to stadiums, there has been concerning levels of disorder at matches, particularly an increase in assaults on innocent stewards and hate crime compared to the 2019/20 season.
The 2020/21 season was impacted by COVID-19 restrictions, affecting the way spectators were able to view and attend matches.
In the 2020/21 football season, all 2,978 scheduled matches were played. Of these, 2,766 (93%) were played without spectators and 212 (7%) were played at reduced capacities (50%, 75%). None were played at full capacity.
Identity of the most common football-related offences
Home Office, Football-related arrests and banning order statistics, England and Wales, 2020 to 2021 season
During this study, they found that football-related arrests by alcohol offences from 2010/11 season to 2019/20 season was at (11%) making it the third highest offence throughout the ten seasons.
In the 2020 to 2021 football season, there was 116 football-related arrests under Schedule 1 of the Football Spectators Act 1989. Of these, the most common offence types were violent disorder (36%) and public disorder (34%). Both offences are likely to be caused from the consumption of alcohol or drugs. It was reported that in 103 matches in 2019/20, the majority (81%) of the incidents of drug use or possession involved cocaine. This concludes alcohol isn’t the only problem.
Community
With the likes of two football supporter groups in Nottinghamshire (Notts County and Notts Forest) against the plan to allow supporters to drink alcohol in the stands, I delved deeper into my local supporters group (Milton Keynes Dons), a supporters group which allows fans to express their opinions on all levels.
Members associated with Milton Keynes Dons supporters’ group raised their concerns, seeing a rise of fans in opposition to the trial. This was their haven where they could express what values they expect and the comprehension towards how others feel.
Returning to stadiums after 18 months away helps clubs including MK Dons massively in the rebuild of their matchday revenues. Of course, we would all wish fans would act responsibly when consuming alcohol, but we need to consider all options available to us and push for sensible solutions that do not affect the safety of the matchday experience.
On Facebook, member John Roullier, said: “I love football as much as any of us, but I know for 100% certain that you cannot trust football fans to drink and act responsibly with alcohol.
“As soon as you let people drink within view of the pitch, you’ll have beer being thrown backwards and forwards between opposing fans, players, families and people’s faith forbids contact with alcohol getting showered every time there’s a goal.”
Some feel adults should be given the chance to drink safely in their seat and enjoy the game, allowing them into the stadium earlier to save themselves rushing and having to down their drink just so they don’t miss any of the game.
People can already have a drink on the concourse before and at half-time, unlike in Scotland where it's banned in its entirety since the nineties, unless in hospitality or a private box.
In response to members highlighting the absolute necessity to have alcohol pitch side, member, Neil Peddle, said: “It only takes one person (or a few) who’ve had a few that ruins it for everyone, be it a high or low risk. However, you could argue the same for people who haven’t had a few.
“Like other people have said other sports, like rugby, just don’t have the same supporter mentality so it’s difficult to judge really. Football supporters are different and always will be.”
Over the last couple of months, football fans around the local area have agreed they’ve found places such as rugby club Northampton Saints that people drink more sensibly and responsibly because they don't serve alcohol in small windows when fans will then neck it.
In spite of that, there’s an argument that not even rugby fans can be trusted:
A worthy dispute is that football fans respond in the way they are treated, if they're treated like cattle, they'll act like cattle.
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