Pint-spotting: Should Alcohol Be Sold at Football Matches?

After drinking Boston dry at the World Cup, Scotland fans have been permitted to purchase pre-match alcohol at the current UEFA Nations League matches against Switzerland and Slovenia at Hampden. 

Pop-up bars opened at 17:45, with last orders at 19:00, forty-five minutes before kick-off. Drinks will be available for purchase over limited areas of the stadium concourse, not pitchside, leaving many believing that there is further room for the plans to develop.

Dedicated Rangers fan Luke Green told The Saint that alcohol “allows people to get into stadiums earlier [which allows] the pre-match atmosphere to improve vastly despite not being able to drink in open pitch areas.”

Scottish fans attending other major sporting events, like rugby, can buy alcoholic drinks throughout matches and drink openly in their seats. The set up for serving alcohol is present at the national stadiums of Hampden and Murrayfield.

The supporting argument for the sale of alcohol being permitted at football stadiums is a positive one, centred on promoting a social and communal atmosphere around the stadium. Certainly, for international games, electric atmospheres present at Murrayfield should be emulated across the M8 at Hampden. Surely nothing beats belting ‘Flower of Scotland’ on a Saturday afternoon with a plastic pint of Tennent’s in hand in the torrential rain?    

Dominic Kono, a Celtic fan and avid rugby spectator, shared his experience: “Having attended multiple Six Nations games under the influence, I can safely say that it is truly the most appropriate approach to any sport and is quintessentially a British tradition.”

Pilot projects have taken place at Scottish games, with Premier Sport Cup matches at the beginning of last season and recent international friendlies versus Japan and Curaçao trialling the sale of alcohol pre-match. Outside of Scotland, all Women’s Super League (WSL) clubs offer alcohol to supporters in stands following two seasons of successful trials. These schemes offer a light in the near future for the advancement of these regulations. 

The sale of alcohol at Scottish football stadiums has been strictly prohibited since 1981. With the recent omission of away fans at the Old-Firm double header, it is clear to see that the addition of alcohol to such a fixture would do more harm than good. At less fearsome league and cup matches, the introduction of alcohol could bring additional revenue to many clubs and encourage fans to make a day out of the game. If trials at Hampden all go to plan, why not run trials during club matches too?

Fan culture, especially in Scotland, of meeting fellow fans at the pub pre-match is a highlight of many supporters’ weeks. From personal experience as a lifelong Hearts fan, going to the Diggers, Tynie Arms or Fountain is a matchday ritual before the short journey to Tynecastle Park and is essential for any Jambo. The permitted sale of alcohol inside the grounds could pose a threat to the income of these cornerstones but could be a welcome addition for local businesses who experience fan fallouts both before and after matches.    

Green noted, “There will be less trouble at surrounding pubs where police presence isn’t as strong.”

Prime Minister Andy Burnham, a vocal Everton fan, also gave his opinion on football fans being “singled out” amongst spectators for not being allowed alcohol in the stands. The Prime Minister hinted that trials can be carried out to see the ban being relaxed. 

A spokesperson for the UK Footballing Policing Unit justifies the restrictions, stating that other sports don’t see the heightened levels of disorder and violence seen at football games. Further, the spokesperson added that “it would be irresponsible to fuel this by allowing greater alcohol consumption during games,” compounding the difficulties that reimplementation would bring with the cost and logistics of policing these ‘drinking areas’. Matches in Scotland cannot be played in the same city — when possible — as there isn’t the capacity to police both at the same time. 

From the wider footballing support across the UK, a Sky Sports poll found that 65% of respondents would be in favour of legalising drinking in the stands —showing that this issue is one of concern and remains a contested topic. 

 Photo Credit: Ray Johnstone