Burnham calls England and Wales ban on drinking in football stands 'discrimination'
On 23 September 2026, while travelling to the United Nations in New York, Prime Minister Andy Burnham told reporters he regarded the prohibition on drinking alcohol in view of the pitch at men's football matches as "discrimination" and said a change could be trialled; he added: "I don't think it's fair for football fans to be singled out".
The ban at English and Welsh grounds stems from the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985, introduced by Margaret Thatcher's government after then-Home Secretary Leon Brittan warned alcohol was a "major contributory factor in violent and disorderly behaviour" in football grounds. Other sports do not face the same restriction, and a fan-led review of football governance in 2021 recommended the law be re-examined. This season Women's Super League clubs have been allowed to offer alcohol in the stands following successful trials, while in Scotland the general sale of alcohol at football stadiums has been prohibited since 1981 but trial sales have recently taken place and fans can now buy alcohol at Hampden Park games.
Burnham, a season-ticket holder at Everton, has long opposed the restriction and criticised it shortly before becoming prime minister when he attended a rugby league game at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium where supporters could drink in the stands. Asked on the plane to New York if his view had changed, he said: "I think that legislation dates to an era where football was very different. And I do believe there is a case to remove that discrimination. There are different ways it could be done. It could happen on a trial basis. But I'm not going to back away from what's been a long held view of mine. I don't see how it can be fair that some supporters of one sport can be treated differently."
Supporters' groups and parts of the football industry welcomed Burnham's comments. Tom Greatrex, chair of the Football Supporters' Association, said it was "unfair to criminalise football fans for having a pint while watching the match - especially since you can sit in the same seat drinking alcohol whilst watching an Oasis gig or rugby league" and added: "We welcome the prime minister's comments and totally agree that the legislation is outdated and deserves to be reviewed." A spokesperson for the English Football League said it would be "receptive" to a review, and since the WSL rule change 25 of the 26 clubs across the two divisions of English women's football have decided to take up the option at all of their home games, the only exception being Brighton & Hove Albion's matches at Crawley's Broadfield Stadium (Brighton have permitted sales at the Amex Stadium).
Police representatives cautioned against hasty reform. The UK Football Policing Unit said: "The UKFPU would welcome a meeting with the prime minister to discuss his views and explain the challenges these proposed changes would bring to policing and the safety of staff and fans at football games. "Other sports simply don't see the violence and criminal behaviour from their supporters that football does, albeit a minority, with alcohol often playing a significant part in violent and disorderly behaviour. It would be irresponsible to fuel this by allowing greater alcohol consumption during games. "Following a number of football-related tragedies, changes in legislation were implemented after the Taylor report [of 1990 into the causes of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster] for good reason and we are currently in the longest ever period without a significant football-related disaster. It would be incredibly rash to make fundamental changes without a full examination of the evidence and meaningful consultation with police practitioners who have the expertise in this area."
Government sources say a trial or pilot scheme is not being ruled out, but any wider change would require extensive consultation involving football clubs, fans and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and "none of which is currently planned".
