UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has weighed in on a long-running debate: whether football fans should be allowed to buy and drink alcohol at their seats. The law that currently stops supporters drinking alcohol at their seats during matches, the Sporting Events Control of Alcohol Act, dates back to 1985, and Burnham thinks it is past its sell-by date.
The Everton supporter firmly believes the law is outdated. Last year MPs rejected a Conservative amendment to the Football Governance Bill that would have forced ministers to launch a formal consultation on scrapping the rule. Now Burnham is making the case publicly, and the question is whether fans themselves want the change.
The 1985 law and where it applies
The Sporting Events Control of Alcohol Act was introduced in 1985 to counter escalating hooliganism through the 1970s and into the 1980s. The ban applies to clubs from the Premier League down to the National League; beer can be sold but only in areas without a view of the pitch. Fans supporting teams in the National League North and South and below can drink alcohol around the pitch.
In Scotland, a law since 1981 means alcohol is only available in hospitality areas and not for other fans. That law was initially imposed following a riot during the 1980 Scottish Cup final between Rangers and Celtic at Hampden.
The ban is broad. It covers the Premier League, the English Football League, and clubs down to the National League. Only the lowest divisions allow drinking around the pitch, and even then only in areas where the view of the game is blocked.
What changed last year
Last year a pilot scheme allowed several Scottish clubs to sell alcohol in clearly defined, monitored areas. It started with lower-level clubs before extending to the Premiership. The Scotland national team took part in the trial for friendlies against Japan and Curacao, and the rule has been extended to games against Switzerland on 29 September and Slovenia next month.
The Women’s Super League in England completed two seasons of successful trials and the rule has been removed by the league’s governing company, WSL Football. The women’s game is not governed by the Sporting Events Control of Alcohol Act.
That sequence matters. The Scottish trial showed the rule could work in a controlled setting. The WSL’s removal of the rule shows a professional league can manage it without trouble. Those two examples now sit behind the push to change the law for men’s football.
The FSA’s position
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) backs changing the law and considers it outdated. FSA chairman Tom Greatrex told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “I think it is outdated… If you go to watch football in Germany or in other places around the world, then it’s perfectly acceptable… There’s no reason why that shouldn’t be the case for football fans, as it is for fans of rugby league, watching Oasis, or anything else that happens often in the same stadiums in the same seats.”
The FSA wants clubs to have the choice, in consultation with supporters, to sell alcohol, with some offering it in all stands, others in designated areas, and a few choosing not to do so at all.
Greatrex’s comparison to other sports is central to the FSA’s case. He points to rugby league, music festivals and other stadium events where fans drink freely without incident. His argument is that the law treats football supporters differently for no good reason.
The push from clubs
The English Football League issued a statement on Thursday saying it would be “receptive to discussions around reviewing the current legislation”, noting member clubs had provided “a mandate to lobby for appropriate reform” which had “not kept pace with significant developments in stadium management, safety and stewarding”.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said in August the competition had not “got a specific view” and “we’d need to give it some really careful thought”. Neither body has committed to a position yet, but both have opened the door to discussion.
The FSA’s position is that clubs should be able to decide for themselves. The association wants consultation with supporters as part of the process, and it is pushing for a system where:
- Some clubs offer alcohol in all stands
- Others offer it in designated areas
- A few choose not to sell at all
The UK Football Policing Unit’s warning
The UK Football Policing Unit argued alcohol plays “a significant part in violent and disorderly behaviour” and that “other sports simply don’t see the violence and criminal behaviour” that football does. The unit’s warning is direct: it links alcohol to disorder at football matches in a way it does not see elsewhere.
The FSA cites previous police opposition to safe standing as evidence police are not open to ideas. That history matters for how the debate is framed. The police have opposed safe standing in the past, and the FSA reads that as evidence of a broader unwillingness to change how football is policed.
What fans say
Dave, a Chelsea fan from Twickenham, told Nicky Campbell on BBC Radio 5 Live that he was “100% against it”. The full argument against stands drinking is unfinished, but the feeling is clear: some supporters want the law to stay as it is.
The debate has split supporters. The Everton supporter sees the law as unfair, while Dave sees it as necessary. Both positions exist within the same fan base.
The path forward
Burnham’s intervention puts the issue back on the agenda. The FSA has a mandate from clubs to lobby for reform. The Women’s Super League has removed the rule after two seasons of trials. And the Scottish trial has already extended to international matches involving the national team.
The question now is whether the political appetite matches the public appetite. MPs rejected the Conservative amendment last year, but the context has changed since then.
The landscape has shifted since then. Burnham’s public backing adds weight to the argument, though the source does not draw this conclusion directly.
The Scottish trial is still running, the WSL rule has been removed, and clubs are talking about lobbying for reform. Burnham’s intervention has brought the issue back into the open, and the next move belongs to the people who make the law.
The question remains: would fans welcome it? The answer, according to the Everton supporter, is yes. According to Dave, the answer is no. The rest of the country has not yet spoken.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs Burnham’s push for fans to decide for themselves, and is against any office or agency using its own authority to keep the ban in place. The law dates back to 1985, and Burnham argues it is past its sell-by date.
The paper supports smaller government and less control over people’s lives, and power that gathers in one place gets abused. An agency writing its own authority is a concentration of power the paper opposes, whatever party holds it. The FSA’s position — that clubs should consult supporters and decide for themselves — fits that principle.
Fans are split. The Everton supporter wants the change; Dave, a Chelsea fan, wants the law to stay. The paper trusts fans to sort it out for themselves rather than having an office or agency settle it.
Source material: “Drinking at football matches – would fans welcome it?,” the BBC.
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