FOOTBALL FANS could be allowed to drink alcohol in STANDS in the near future following a fan-led government review.
Supporters haven’t been allowed to enjoy booze while watching football since 1985 but a change in the rules is to be recommended.
According to The Times, ex-sport minister and Conservative MP Tracey Crouch has completed an independent review of the matter.
She is set to push for a pilot on serving alcohol at clubs in the National League and League Two with a view to extending it to a higher level.
British football’s 36-year ban on alcohol being drank in stands was introduced in a bid to battle hooliganism.
Other top European leagues allow supporters to enjoy a pint in their seats while they watch the action unfold.
There is also no such ban in other British sports, such as cricket and rugby.
Crouch believes the move could encourage fans not to binge drink before games and will generate much-needed revenue for lower-league clubs.
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She told The Times: “Take a club like Dulwich Hamlet, which is in National League South. It’s revenue is generated through its refreshments.
“If it gets promoted to the National League Premier, it effectively stops generating that revenue during a game.
“They said openly in evidence to us that they cannot afford to get promoted because of the rules around alcohol.
“Lots of clubs generate a lot of their income through their bars and I think it’s time to look at this issue again.
“We do have this bizarre situation where you can go to Headingley and drink as a cricket fan, but go to Elland Road and you can’t drink as a football fan.
“We kettle people into drinking quickly at half-time. And that is the unhealthy aspect of the football fan’s relationship with alcohol.
“They drink a lot in a short space of time. So my recommendation is to pilot this and not have to down a pint at half-time.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
