Drink again? Premier League clubs back campaign to lift ban on alcohol in seats inside football grounds 14 Feb 2013 17:49
Football fans have been unfairly treated by the 28-year ban according to the ex-Ipswich Town chief executive leading the campaign
Bring back the beer: Premier League and Championship clubs are backing Ipswich Town's campaign to lift the ban on drinking alcohol in seats Getty Images Football fans could be allowed to drink alcohol in their seats for the first time in almost 30 years if a campaign led by Ipswich Town gets the go-ahead.
A number of Premier League clubs have privately backed the campaign along with the majority of Championship clubs.
Ipswich Town’s former chief executive Simon Clegg - who stepped down from the role earlier this month - has written to the Football Association and the Football League asking for a review of the blanket ban on alcohol being drunk in sight of the pitch.
Clegg told MirrorFootball before he left the club that decisions on the restrictions should be made on a game by game basis by individual clubs’ safety advisory groups.
He said: “Society has moved on since the dark days of the 1970s and 1980s and home office figures would suggest that the number of arrests at games over the last couple of seasons is at an all-time low.
“That doesn’t mean I’m being complacent about this situation and what I’m not calling for is a complete lifting of the ban.
Clegg's campaign: Ex-Ipswich Town chief executive Simon Clegg (left) watches from the stands where he hopes to be able to drink a beer in future. Getty Images
“What I am suggesting is this issue should be delegated down to the local area for them to make a decision on a case by case basis. So if we were playing Norwich you probably wouldn’t do it but we probably would do it if we were playing Bristol City.”
Clegg said he has been thinking about the issue ever since he came into football four years ago and insisted it was not a knee-jerk reaction to the recent revelations about the Hillsborough disaster.
But the only response he has received from the FA and Football League is “acknowledgement” of his letters despite widespread support from fellow clubs.
“I’ve got a lot of support from my colleagues in the Championship. I’ve proposed having an open debate about the merits of lifting the ban and people are saying ‘yes, we should discuss this’, although one Premier League chief executive went further than that last week and said to me: ‘we would definitely support it.’
“I think this is a sensible way forward. I didn’t come from football, I came from the Olympics before that and sometimes people coming in from outside see things with fresh eyes.”
Limits: Clegg says he would not allow alcohol to be drunk in family areas of football grounds AFP/Getty Images
Clegg said Portman Road – Ipswich Town’s ground, would be the ideal place to trial the idea due to its “excellent track record”.
But with similar proposals to bring back standing areas in stadiums, might the combination of the two cause problems?
“There are all sorts of ‘if this and this combined then might this be an outcome’. You never know until you actually try it and that’s no reason for not trialling it in my view.
"Now don’t tell me that in 60 years’ time people will still be going to football matches and still not be able to drink alcohol at football matches. Society moves on and laws need to keep pace with changes in society.”
The law banning supporters from drinking in their seats during games was passed in 1985 and only applies to football matches, which Clegg believes is unfair.
He gave the example of the Madejski Stadium in Reading, where football fans are banned from drinking in their seats at football matches but rugby fans can watch London Irish in the same seat with a pint in their hand.
Not fair: Fans of London Irish can have a beer at the Madjeski Stadium but Reading football fans can't Getty Images
He also pointed out the “ludicrous” situation in corporate boxes where blinds are drawn 15 minutes before kick-off and during half time.
Clegg is aware, however, of the many obstacles in the way of lifting the ban on alcohol, not least of which is the police.
“There is a long way to go and I do recognise it requires a leap of faith – particularly to conservative organisations such as ACPO [Association of Chief Police Officers] and perhaps footballing authorities as well.
“But that doesn’t mean that the law shouldn’t be challenged at some stage to ask the question ‘is it still fit for purpose?’ as opposed to just accepting it as a fait accompli.”
i think it should be allowed as a mate pointed out a bottle of coke without a lid compared compared to a plastic pint cup which would collapse on being thrown ( any of you festival goers out there will agree on this) is much more of a missile anyway why would anyone want to throw beer away, end of the day if you want to get plastered you just stand by the bar, only concern for the club is people bringing in cans etc and filling up there plastic cups which theyve drunk from.
This is just a way for clubs to make more money out of supporters, anyway, the speed at which the bar staff pour drinks at The Valley, you'd miss half the game.
For what its worth, as @iainment says if you really can't do without beer for 2 periods of 45 mins, you really have a problem - same goes for people that can't cope without a fag for 90 mins.
I'd be so happy if I could sit at my seat enjoying a cold refreshing (ahem) Fosters. It's not about not being able to wait until half time, it's about increasing levels of enjoyment during the game.
It'll definitely make the match more interesting anyway.
Would like it but it wouldn't work. Especially at Charlton, you'd probably have people moaning non stop about it.
If served in plastic bottles, they'd be getting thrown every 2 games. Millwall were fairly lax on letting you drink at your seat and ended up with most getting thrown to and from the home end.
Then you've got the person who complains someone spilt a beer on them when jumping up.
Good idea, if they served a decent pint in a glass, but they don't so not to bothered about it personaly, though if others want a beer in their seats then let them.
This is just a way for clubs to make more money out of supporters, anyway, the speed at which the bar staff pour drinks at The Valley, you'd miss half the game.
For what its worth, as @iainment says if you really can't do without beer for 2 periods of 45 mins, you really have a problem - same goes for people that can't cope without a fag for 90 mins.
I can go 90 minutes without beer, I can go 90 minutes without football too, that's not really the point though is it? I can go for 2 hours without popcorn but I still like the option to take some in with me when I watch a film. It's not a matter of not being able to do without so much as why should you have to?
This is just a way for clubs to make more money out of supporters, anyway, the speed at which the bar staff pour drinks at The Valley, you'd miss half the game.
I thought that when I read Ipswich. I've done it abroad and ended up steaming, and whilst I'll just fall over or text crap on my phone others might be inclined to go in the other direction.
This is just a way for clubs to make more money out of supporters, anyway, the speed at which the bar staff pour drinks at The Valley, you'd miss half the game.
For what its worth, as @iainment says if you really can't do without beer for 2 periods of 45 mins, you really have a problem - same goes for people that can't cope without a fag for 90 mins.
I can go 90 minutes without beer, I can go 90 minutes without football too, that's not really the point though is it? I can go for 2 hours without popcorn but I still like the option to take some in with me when I watch a film. It's not a matter of not being able to do without so much as why should you have to?
yep this. no one would say all rugby fans are alcoholics. and they can't even wait 80 minutes!
This is just a way for clubs to make more money out of supporters, anyway, the speed at which the bar staff pour drinks at The Valley, you'd miss half the game.
For what its worth, as @iainment says if you really can't do without beer for 2 periods of 45 mins, you really have a problem - same goes for people that can't cope without a fag for 90 mins.
I can go 90 minutes without beer, I can go 90 minutes without football too, that's not really the point though is it? I can go for 2 hours without popcorn but I still like the option to take some in with me when I watch a film. It's not a matter of not being able to do without so much as why should you have to?
But the majority of people can be trusted & responsible to drink sensibly etc - it'll be the minority as usual, why should I or anyone else have to sit next to someone who decides to get drunk every home game? Also, if you have young children, would you want them exposed to the possibility of being around drunken supporters?
When I start to take my son to Charlton, I want him to be able to take in the game/atmosphere without having to worry that he'll end up next to a drunken idiot - I can understand the people who say look at the Rugby fans, but Rugby fans have proven time and again that they are to be trusted, they sit with rival supporters, drink beer and have no issues - we struggle to get through a game without flares going off!
My one experience of a corporate box was at Spurs a couple of years ago, and I was amazed the rules also applied to a completely glassed in box, with no access to the stand outside. It was a bit frustrating, having to drink up 15 minutes before the start of the game, and having to go to a separate lounge at half time to have a drink.
How do they manage with our East Stand boxes, do they draw the curtains at half time, as there's no separate lounge for them?
I was in a box once and i think they said no drinking in view of the pitch. They wasnt very strict on it though so we just sat in the box and had a few bottles with our cheese sandwiches. They have fridges in there so they must have blinds...
Though personally I'd doubt you'd have any trouble at all in 90% of the ground.
I'm not saying that it's all positive but if they had drinking and non-drinking blocks for example then at least you'd have a choice. (And not everyone in the drinking blocks would necessarily be an alcoholic!).
Comments
14 Feb 2013 17:49
Football fans have been unfairly treated by the 28-year ban according to the ex-Ipswich Town chief executive leading the campaign
Bring back the beer: Premier League and Championship clubs are backing Ipswich Town's campaign to lift the ban on drinking alcohol in seats
Getty Images
Football fans could be allowed to drink alcohol in their seats for the first time in almost 30 years if a campaign led by Ipswich Town gets the go-ahead.
A number of Premier League clubs have privately backed the campaign along with the majority of Championship clubs.
Ipswich Town’s former chief executive Simon Clegg - who stepped down from the role earlier this month - has written to the Football Association and the Football League asking for a review of the blanket ban on alcohol being drunk in sight of the pitch.
Clegg told MirrorFootball before he left the club that decisions on the restrictions should be made on a game by game basis by individual clubs’ safety advisory groups.
He said: “Society has moved on since the dark days of the 1970s and 1980s and home office figures would suggest that the number of arrests at games over the last couple of seasons is at an all-time low.
“That doesn’t mean I’m being complacent about this situation and what I’m not calling for is a complete lifting of the ban.
Clegg's campaign: Ex-Ipswich Town chief executive Simon Clegg (left) watches from the stands where he hopes to be able to drink a beer in future.
Getty Images
“What I am suggesting is this issue should be delegated down to the local area for them to make a decision on a case by case basis. So if we were playing Norwich you probably wouldn’t do it but we probably would do it if we were playing Bristol City.”
Clegg said he has been thinking about the issue ever since he came into football four years ago and insisted it was not a knee-jerk reaction to the recent revelations about the Hillsborough disaster.
But the only response he has received from the FA and Football League is “acknowledgement” of his letters despite widespread support from fellow clubs.
“I’ve got a lot of support from my colleagues in the Championship. I’ve proposed having an open debate about the merits of lifting the ban and people are saying ‘yes, we should discuss this’, although one Premier League chief executive went further than that last week and said to me: ‘we would definitely support it.’
“I think this is a sensible way forward. I didn’t come from football, I came from the Olympics before that and sometimes people coming in from outside see things with fresh eyes.”
Limits: Clegg says he would not allow alcohol to be drunk in family areas of football grounds
AFP/Getty Images
Clegg said Portman Road – Ipswich Town’s ground, would be the ideal place to trial the idea due to its “excellent track record”.
But with similar proposals to bring back standing areas in stadiums, might the combination of the two cause problems?
“There are all sorts of ‘if this and this combined then might this be an outcome’. You never know until you actually try it and that’s no reason for not trialling it in my view.
"Now don’t tell me that in 60 years’ time people will still be going to football matches and still not be able to drink alcohol at football matches. Society moves on and laws need to keep pace with changes in society.”
The law banning supporters from drinking in their seats during games was passed in 1985 and only applies to football matches, which Clegg believes is unfair.
He gave the example of the Madejski Stadium in Reading, where football fans are banned from drinking in their seats at football matches but rugby fans can watch London Irish in the same seat with a pint in their hand.
Not fair: Fans of London Irish can have a beer at the Madjeski Stadium but Reading football fans can't
Getty Images
He also pointed out the “ludicrous” situation in corporate boxes where blinds are drawn 15 minutes before kick-off and during half time.
Clegg is aware, however, of the many obstacles in the way of lifting the ban on alcohol, not least of which is the police.
“There is a long way to go and I do recognise it requires a leap of faith – particularly to conservative organisations such as ACPO [Association of Chief Police Officers] and perhaps footballing authorities as well.
“But that doesn’t mean that the law shouldn’t be challenged at some stage to ask the question ‘is it still fit for purpose?’ as opposed to just accepting it as a fait accompli.”
For what its worth, as @iainment says if you really can't do without beer for 2 periods of 45 mins, you really have a problem - same goes for people that can't cope without a fag for 90 mins.
A lot of these people kept the attendances up during the last 6 years, cos people certainly didnt come for the entertainment on the pitch!
Would love to be able to have a beer in my seat.
It'll definitely make the match more interesting anyway.
I’m never at the Valley with out them.
If served in plastic bottles, they'd be getting thrown every 2 games. Millwall were fairly lax on letting you drink at your seat and ended up with most getting thrown to and from the home end.
Then you've got the person who complains someone spilt a beer on them when jumping up.
:-)
When I start to take my son to Charlton, I want him to be able to take in the game/atmosphere without having to worry that he'll end up next to a drunken idiot - I can understand the people who say look at the Rugby fans, but Rugby fans have proven time and again that they are to be trusted, they sit with rival supporters, drink beer and have no issues - we struggle to get through a game without flares going off!
How do they manage with our East Stand boxes, do they draw the curtains at half time, as there's no separate lounge for them?
I wouldn't dream of drinking the bilge on offer at the ground.
Sure, I take your point.
Though personally I'd doubt you'd have any trouble at all in 90% of the ground.
I'm not saying that it's all positive but if they had drinking and non-drinking blocks for example then at least you'd have a choice. (And not everyone in the drinking blocks would necessarily be an alcoholic!).