Newcastle and Bristol City among Women’s Championship sides to trial allowing fans to drink alcohol in stands
NEWCASTLE and Bristol City are set to allow fans to drink alcohol in their stands as part of a test involving four Women’s Championship clubs.
The WSL promotion chasers are taking part in the trial to begin later this month along with Birmingham City and Southampton.
The scheme backed by authorities overseeing the top two tiers of women’s football will run until the end of this season.
Newcastle will do a test at their Kingston Stadium home while Bristol City will also allow alcohol consumption in the stands at Ashton Gate.
And the Saints and Birmingham will be allowing supporters to do the same at their games at St Mary’s and St Andrew’s.
At present supporters who flock to football matches in the top divisions of men’s football in England are banned from drinking alcohol in view of the pitch.
This is due to the Sporting Events Act of 1985 introduced by the then Conservative government in a bid to thwart football hooliganism
However the legislation does not apply to the women’s game
The trial involving Birmingham, Bristol City, Newcastle and Southampton is being led by the Women’s Professional League Limited.
Speaking at a sports business summit last October, WPLL chief Nikki Doucet said: “We are testing that actually in a couple of teams in the Championship this season.
“We’ll see what we learn from that.
“I think our fan base and the behaviour is different (to the men’s game).
“I think ultimately it’s about being able to give our fans choices, while obviously maintaining the safety and what we need to do in terms of being responsible.”
Clubs involved in the trial will allow fans to drink alcohol in four or five of their Women’s Championship home games this season.
Newcastle and Birmingham will start their test run in home clashes with Portsmouth and Bristol City on January 26
And the Robins and the Saints begin their trial in games against London City Lionesses and Sunderland one week before.