Burnham backs football drinking reform, but no change announced

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has backed changing the rules that prevent supporters from drinking alcohol within sight of the pitch at many football matches in England and Wales, BBC Sport and Sky Sports reported on 24 September 2026. But his comments do not amount to a change in government policy. [1] [11]

Sky quoted Burnham saying, “I don't think it's fair for football fans to be singled out in that way”, and suggesting a trial as one possible route to reform. The BBC said there was no suggestion his position was about to become official policy. Neither report announced a new trial in men's football. [1] [11]

The restriction dates to the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc.) Act 1985. It is not a blanket ban on stadium alcohol sales: according to the BBC's account of its current application, clubs from the Premier League to the National League can sell beer, but it must be consumed away from a view of the pitch. The restriction therefore extends beyond drinking at one's seat. [1] [2]

Choice for clubs, objections from police

Football Supporters' Association chairman Tom Greatrex described the restriction as outdated on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, according to the BBC's 24 September report. The FSA favours allowing clubs to decide in consultation with supporters: some could permit drinking throughout their stands, others in designated areas, while others could retain the restriction. That is the association's position, not a finding that all fans agree. [1]

Sky reported the same day that the EFL was receptive to discussions about reform, citing a mandate from its member clubs. The Premier League had not taken a position: chief executive Richard Masters told Sky News in August that the issue needed careful consideration. [11]

The UK Football Policing Unit opposed relaxation in comments reported by Sky on 24 September. It argued that alcohol often contributes significantly to violence and disorder among a minority of supporters, and sought discussions with Burnham about policing and safety. That warning does not establish how a particular trial would affect drinking or disorder. [11]

There is also evidence questioning the effectiveness of existing controls. A 2011 study by Geoff Pearson and Arianna Sale in *Policing and Society*, based primarily on a 15-year ethnography, concluded that restrictions had not reduced drunkenness among the fans studied and could increase some risks of confrontation. It was not a contemporary trial of allowing pitch-view drinking. [8]

Would supporters welcome it?

Women's football offers some practical experience. In January 2026, WSL Football reported that 70% of surveyed supporters who had experienced its Fan Choice fixtures supported the scheme, compared with 58% in the previous summer's baseline survey. The organiser reported no pilot-related incidents or ejections. These were interim findings, with limited information about the comparability of respondents, and do not demonstrate that the same outcomes would follow in men's football. [4]

Manchester United's guide for 2026/27 says supporters can drink within sight of the pitch at its women's WSL and WSL Cup fixtures, with a dedicated alcohol-free section also available. The permission does not cover Women's FA Cup, UEFA Champions League or friendly matches. [6]

Other polling gives different signals. Sky reported 65% support for legalising drinking in the stands among respondents to its website and app poll at 10am on 24 September. It supplied neither a respondent count nor a representative sampling method. [11]

By contrast, Brand Finance reported on 9 July that 52% of its UK sports-fan respondents supported prohibiting alcohol at sports events. But that question concerned sport generally, explicitly linked prohibition to a safer, more family-friendly environment, and was published without the UK sample size. It cannot be treated as a direct vote on football's narrower pitch-view restriction. [10]