Andy Burnham considers major law U-turn impacting EFL fans | OneFootball

Football fans could see a major change introduced to their matchday routine for the first time in four decades

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham is considering a major U-turn on a current legislation which could impact the routine of thousands of match-going football fans across the country.

Indeed, it has been widely reported that the 56-year-old wants to see the return of beer to the stands at grounds across the country, which includes those in the Championship, League One and League Two.

The EFL's three divisions, as well as the Premier League, are currently taking a backseat in the fixture calendar due to a three-week international break which was unanimously approved by members of FIFA three years ago to reduce the disruption of their 38 and 46-game seasons.

As Burnham, who replaced Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister on 20th July, continues making several changes impacting the daily routines of hundreds of millions of people throughout the country, the well-known football fanatic's aim of allowing the public to consume alcohol without disrupting their own experience of the 90 minutes has also led to a split of opinions.

Andy Burnham considers reversal on major footballing ban that has been in place for four decades

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The Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc.) Act was first introduced in 1985 by then-Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, in a bid to combat hooliganism which swept through the terraces across all four professional divisions in the country.

That particular year saw four matches make headlines for all the wrong reasons in the form of the Heysel Stadium disaster, the Bradford fire disaster and major riots at fixtures between Birmingham City and Leeds United plus Luton Town and Millwall.

Since then, the consumption of alcohol within view of the pitch has been banned in the Premier League, League One, League Two and National League, as well as from the first round proper of the FA Cup.

Burnham, often a frequent attendee of Everton matches, including the recent 1-0 win over Wolves in the EFL Cup, has now revealed his stance on the removal of such laws, particularly as they do not impact the matchday experiences in other sports.

"I think that legislation dates to an era where football was very different," he said.

"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."

It has since been revealed that the UK Football Policing Unit would like to discuss such plans with the Prime Minister.

How UK football fans have reacted to potential Andy Burnham decision

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Naturally, there have been plenty of responses to Burnham's latest round of comments on the reversal of said ban, with some old enough to remember what it was previously like attending matches when alcohol could be consumed in the stands.

"It's not exactly great even with the restrictions, just asking for trouble," was one of several opinions.

Another comment read: "I really don’t want to take my young family knowing if a goal is scored we will have beer thrown over us. What a pathetic idea he really does want to take us back to the 70s."

"Not needed whatsoever. Plenty of time to grab a drink before and after and I don’t really fancy getting covered in beer after scoring a consolation," said another match-going fan.

Given what could occur in the stands if the legislation was removed, another supporter replied: "Maybe he'll take the tax and invest in police because you'll need more of it."

A Burnley supporter feels there could be a smart solution to the matter, claiming: "It would lighten pre drinking and it can easily be controlled by maximum purchase attached to scanning your ticket / season ticket at the till."

Trial of potential UK law removal impacting football fans makes sense

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The lifting of the Sporting Events Act will not happen overnight, of course, and it could take some time before the consumption of alcohol in stands is green-lighted at each and every professional stadium in England.

80% of Premier League stadiums now incorporate the usage of safe-standing areas, but this comes after such measures were initially trialed in top-flight and Championship stadiums in 2021 after over a year in which supporters rarely attended matches due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

There will be some who welcome this particular change, and it is clear that Burnham's stance on the matter, which came to light after just one week at 10 Downing Street, has remained unchanged.