Birmingham, Bristol City, Newcastle and Southampton in the Women’s Championship will take part in a trial that will allow fans to drink alcohol in the stands while watching matches. It will begin this month and run until the end of the season, but will only apply to league matches.
Under the Sporting Events Act 1985, drinking while watching the pitch is prohibited in England’s top five men’s leagues, but women’s matches are not bound by the law and do not require government approval. has been done. If this trial is successful, the concept could be rolled out more widely across the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship following further consultation.
Clubs were required to register their interest in taking part in the trial with Women’s Pro League Limited (WPLL), which runs the WSL and Women’s Championship, from August and had to meet certain safety standards. .
The four clubs were chosen partly because of their geographical spread, but two of the venues, Ashton Gate and Kingston Park, are the joint home base of Bristol Bears and Newcastle Falcons and are also used during rugby union matches. It is understood that this is because people are used to allowing people to consume alcohol. You can compare scenarios using one of each and two without.
The trial was organized to examine potential ways to improve the match experience for women’s games. League officials previously said they wanted to “test and learn” before enacting the changes. There is also the idea that alcohol consumption may be safer in the women’s game than in the men’s game because of the different fan base. In September last year, government data showed no arrests had been recorded at England and Wales women’s football matches for the 2023-24 season.
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The first match of the trial between Bristol City and Southampton will take place on January 19th, with Birmingham and Newcastle on January 26th. Some derby matches are exempt.
