Football should trial return of pints in the stands… but can minority of fans be trusted to show we’re past dark days?

AS ladies say ‘cheers’ to drinking alcohol in the stands at Women’s Championship matches, the chance of a return to a beer or two on all the men’s terraces are about as high as Accrington Stanley winning League Two.

Actually, Accrington’s average attendance of 2,509 would be a very good ground at which to start serving alcohol as policing any noisy drunks would be a simple process.

GettyThere isn’t a measurable risk of violent drunks at Women’s Championship matches[/caption]

PAI am happy to let responsible drinkers drink, it’s the rest of them I worry about . . .[/caption]

But it isn’t going to happen at Wham Stadium which, incidentally, is not named after (the late and great) George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s pop pairing.

Nor anywhere else, at least not in the near future.

Drinking alcohol within view of the playing field was stopped in 1985 after a sequence of events involving noisy, sometimes violent, spectators.

There are no moves to change the law although there are many ways of buying alcohol beyond a pitch view, and a recent study showed Chelsea fans top the beer table, drinking on average six pints a game.

At that rate, they might need a half-time substitution for their liver more than their team.

The police and stewards are on the look-out for drunks or people bringing alcohol into grounds although some still try.

A Leeds supporter succeeded in 2012 and, should anyone need convincing that the ban should end, the facts were he assaulted Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Chris Kirkland after running on to the pitch.

It transpired that the offender drank countless cans of lager and a bottle of vodka on the journey to the ground. In Sheffield he then drank at least seven pints of cider.

I feel woozy even writing that. He was jailed for 16 weeks and banned from football grounds for six years.

There isn’t a measurable risk of violent drunks at Women’s Championship matches and it made sense supporters should be able to drink wisely during this trial.

It’s a different crowd, reflected in the fact government data revealed there had been no arrests recorded at women’s football matches.

The end of restrictions is positive for several reasons — extra revenue, another attraction for people to attend, and even a tot to cheer fans of the losing side.

Supporters of a return to drinks during play can point to rugby and cricket for freedom from limitations.

At the Ireland v Scotland match a record 137,000 pints of beer were sold at Stade de France.

There was a mass brawl, but that was on the pitch between the players. Drinkers at cricket are often asleep anyway.

Women tend to follow the rules rather than consider them a nuisance. We despise violence and bad behaviour, both of which are much more prevalent among men and it is unlikely many will see pie-eyed woman causing trouble at matches.

Maybe solution lies in compromise

I would love to make a bonfire of all restrictions but I don’t think it would be possible or responsible.

Ultimately, the question isn’t just about alcohol — it’s about trust. Have fans moved on from the dark days of the 80s? Can clubs strike the right balance between modernisation and maintaining order?

In football, intensity and passion run high. Add alcohol to this and it can be a problem.

The last thing clubs or fans want is a descent into chaos because of a few irresponsible drinkers.

The landscape of football has been transformed in those 40 years. Stadiums are safer, crowds are more diverse, and family-friendly atmospheres have replaced toxic environments of the past.

Perhaps the solution lies in compromise. Limited trials at selected matches could provide data on whether ending the ban works.

Guidelines would have to be stringent and include steps such as alcohol-free zones, stricter ID checks, and time-limited drinking.

I am happy to let responsible drinkers drink, it’s the rest of them I worry about . . .

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