Women’s football to lift ban on drinking alcohol while watching matches
Women’s football is relaxing its rules to let spectators drink alcohol while watching a match – starting later this month.
A pilot scheme is being launched in the second-tier Women’s Championship which will see four clubs trial the arrangement for the rest of the season.
Drinking alcohol within view of the pitch is banned in the top five tiers of men’s football over safety and public order concerns but women’s football is not bound by the rule.
The ban could be lifted in the Women’s Super League if the trial, which is taking place at Bristol City, Southampton, Birmingham and Newcastle, is successful.
“We are testing in a couple of teams in the Championship this season and we’ll see what we learn from that,” Nikki Doucet, chief executive of Women’s Professional Leagues Limited, said in October.
“I think our fan base and the behaviour is different [to the men’s game], and I think ultimately it’s about being able to give our fans choices while obviously maintaining the safety and what we need to do in terms of being responsible.”
Lifting the alcohol ban could attract more casual fans to women’s games, much like it does at men’s matches below National League level.
In 2021, former sports minister Tracey Crouch recommended a review of the legislation to determine whether it remains fit for purpose, and allowing alcohol to be consumed at fourth and fifth-tier matches as part of a small-scale pilot scheme.
The first alcohol trials in the Women’s Championship will take place on 19 January, when Bristol City host London City Lionesses and Southampton play at home to Sunderland.
Birmingham and Newcastle will trial the scheme the following week in their home fixtures on 26 January against Bristol City and Portsmouth.