Football stadiums set to lift alcohol ban after 39 years despite police objections

The long-standing ban on drinking alcohol from your seat at a football game will be temporarily lifted in the Women's Championship this season.

Back in 1985, drinking alcohol in sight of the pitch was banned in the top five tiers of men's football in a bid to curb hooliganism.

More than 30 years later and former sports minister Tracey Crouch proposed a pilot in League Two and the National League as part of her 2021 fan-led review.

Crouch argued that lifting the ban on alcohol could help secure the financial future of clubs lower down the pyramid.

But at the time, police chief constable Mark Roberts said it would be “irresponsible to fuel” football’s problem with disorder by allowing alcohol to be consumed in the stands.

As mentioned above, laws have been in place since 1985 regarding the consumption of alcohol in view of the pitch in men's football.

But the ban in the women's game has been self-imposed by authorities until now.

In the coming months, allowing fans to drink alcohol in the stadium "bowl" will be trialled at two Women's Championship clubs this season as part of wider measures to capitalise on the growth of the sport.

That's according to Women's Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL) chief executive Nikki Doucet, who recently revealed that that 'testing' is set to take place this season.

Speaking at the Leaders Week London event, Doucet said: "We are going to test it in a couple of teams in the Championship this season and we will see what we will learn from that.

"I think the behaviour of our fan base is different. It is about giving our fans choices while maintaining safety and being responsible."

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It is said discussions are at an early stage regarding the trial and the clubs involved are yet to be chosen.

Doucet also discussed the profile of women's football in England, and referenced how women's basketball is viewed in the United States.

'When I look at what the NBA [National Basketball Association] is doing and the respect they are showing to the WNBA — that’s very authentic,' she said.

"They know they are great basketball players and I'd like to see more of that [towards the WSL]. These are elite athletes who are very inspiring."

She added: "Women's football has a smaller talent pool globally and it is crucial we have investment to give access to girls to play football. It is something we are looking at and it is being worked on."