Overview
- On Sunday, July 5, Andy Burnham posted a video from Hill Dickinson Stadium questioning why rugby fans could drink in their seats while football supporters remain barred from consuming alcohol in view of the pitch.
- The Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol) Act 1985 remains in force and prohibits taking alcohol into seats at covered men's professional football matches but does not stop sales at stadium bars.
- Campaigners and some Labour MPs have long called for trials or reform and welcomed Burnham's remarks, citing recent Women’s Super League pilots that allowed in‑seat drinking outside the 1985 law.
- Police chiefs have warned against loosening the rule because it was originally introduced to curb disorder, and law‑and‑order concerns remain a key obstacle to change.
- Burnham is expected to become prime minister around July 20, which supporters say creates a realistic near‑term path for a formal review or pilot schemes and could change what fans are allowed to do at matches if ministers act.