Andy Burnham signals he may lift ban on alcohol in football stands

Andy Burnham has signalled he may lift the ban on drinking alcohol in the stands at football matches, suggesting it is “unfair” for fans to be singled out when it is permitted for other sports.

The prime minister, a committed Everton fan who still attends matches, said there was a case for trialling an end to the ban to bring football in line with rugby and cricket.

The move was welcomed by the Football Supporters’ Association and the English Football League, but police warned it would be “incredibly rash” to make changes without considering their impact on safety.

Burnham has long opposed the ban, saying it is discriminatory and out of date, harking back to an era when football violence was fuelled by drinking within view of the pitch.

Asked by reporters on the plane to New York about lifting a ban, Burnham said: “I don’t think it’s fair for football fans to be singled out in that way and I made that point. I think that legislation dates to an era where football was very different. And I do believe there is a case to remove that discrimination.

“There are different ways it could be done, perhaps on a trial basis. But I’m not going to back away from what’s been a long-held view of mine. I don’t see how it can be fair that some supporters of one sport can be treated differently.”

The Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 prohibits drinking in sight of the pitch in England and Wales.

The fan-led review of football governance in 2021 called for the ban to be re-examined and suggested piloting the sale of alcohol within sight of the pitch in lower-tier English football.

A spokesperson for the UK Football Policing Unit, which coordinates football policing policy in England and Wales, said: “The UKFPU would welcome a meeting with the prime minister to discuss his views and explain the challenges these proposed changes would bring to policing and the safety of staff and fans at football games.

“Other sports simply don’t see the violence and criminal behaviour from their supporters that football does, albeit a minority, with alcohol often playing a significant part in violent and disorderly behaviour. It would be irresponsible to fuel this by allowing greater alcohol consumption during games.

“Following a number of football-related tragedies, changes in legislation were implemented after the Taylor report [of 1990 into the causes of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster] for good reason and we are currently in the longest ever period without a significant football-related disaster. It would be incredibly rash to make fundamental changes without a full examination of the evidence and meaningful consultation with police practitioners who have the expertise in this area.”

A spokesperson for the English Football League said it would be “receptive” to a review of legislation that “was introduced more than 40 years ago and has not kept pace with significant developments in stadium management, safety and stewarding”.

Tom Greatrex, the chair of the Football Supporters’ Association, said: “The FSA has always argued that it’s unfair to criminalise football fans for having a pint while watching the match – especially since you can sit in the same seat drinking alcohol whilst watching an Oasis gig or rugby league. We welcome the prime minister’s comments and totally agree that the legislation is outdated and deserves to be reviewed. We look forward to being part of that consultation.”

Supporters at Women’s Super League and WSL2 matches have been permitted to drink alcohol in view of the pitch since the start of this season, after a successful 18-month trial period led to a change to the WSL’s regulations this summer, allowing clubs – but not obliging them – to give fans that option.

Since that rule change, 25 of the 26 clubs across the two divisions of English women’s football have decided to take up the option at all of their home games. The only exception is Brighton & Hove Albion’s home matches at Crawley’s Broadfield Stadium, but Brighton have permitted fans to drink in view of the pitch when the team play their home matches at the Amex Stadium, such as last Sunday when they hosted Aston Villa. Women’s matches have typically seen fewer incidents of crowd trouble.