Beer at LOI Games

[Kiki Balboa]

I have been at plenty of games in Europe, especially in Germany, where you can buy beer, sit down and enjoy the game. In fact, I dont think there is anything better. Not only is it relaxing, but increases the Atmosphere around the place. I find in pretty frustrating the lack of a beer at LOI games.

Of course, in the more heated games it should be restricted, but why cant Dundalk fans drink when the play Bray, or Cork when they play Harps when of course there will be no trouble.

Not only are the clubs missing out on potential new stream of income, but they also miss out promotions and a demographic, ie. how about strating your Friday at a game before moving into town after.

Anybody else have these thoughts, or is this just me in silly season mode?

[White Horse]

No thanks.

I went to a rugby match once (once was enough) and spent the whole game standing up and sitting down as people trudged by with trays of spilling beer, not to mention the inevitable toilet breaks. Then there are the beer farts.

Fans can have a drink in Oriel before the game, at half time, and at full time. How much drink do people need?

[osarusan]

What are the actual rules on alcohol sales?

[Real ale Madrid]

You can sell alcohol in the ground but you can't bring it to your seat AFAIK.

[nigel-harps1954]

Just wear big socks and stuff them with cans.

[Ezeikial]

Dutch Gold is always freely available in the Shed

[oriel]

An absolute no from me. Totally agree with WH on the rugby thing. It also looks ridiculous in my view on tv when you watch the 6 nations. The day out merchants waving to the camera with their plastic cups of beer.

Few things are better as a fan than having a good pub pre match, build up the pre match with a few beers, or even the atmosphere for those who do not drink. Also at HT (where available) quick one then back to your seat / spot for the second half. We are fortunate in Dundalk to have 2 bars* to chose from depending on where you go. Most of the stand fans who like to take a drink tend to go to the smaller bar, middle part of the stand, whereas a lot of those going to the terrace prefer the bigger lilywhite lounge.

If one thing that needs to be improved at LOI matches it's the choice of food available. Leave the booze out of it while the match is on.

* on the subject of bars, the bar inside the YDC at the shed side in oriel park has a licence to print money on match days alone, would save the walk over pre and after half time for starters. Has been out of action for a few years due to the change in ownership.

[sidewayspasser]

No thanks.

I went to a rugby match once (once was enough) and spent the whole game standing up and sitting down as people trudged by with trays of spilling beer, not to mention the inevitable toilet breaks. Then there are the beer farts.

Plus the guy one or two rows behind you getting too excited and spilling his beer into your neck in the process. No, thanks.

[bluemovie]

Can't clap if you're holding a beer

[Real ale Madrid]

How much drink do people need?

There was a time during the Liam Murphy era that id HAVE to be drunk watching the games.

[dundalkfc10]

Take 2 cans into every home game (Pint at HT also), never any issue! The stewards know what lads may throw cans etc so they are the ones they search.

Away games is a diff story, Rovers very hard to get even 1 bottle in although odd time you get it in.
Cork no chance, was nearly refused entry as i had a can on me! Got in after Steward basically told a guard to cop the **** on.
Any other away game, no issue with getting drink in.

Stewards don’t even search you where you would hide drink!

[colonelwest]

Take 2 cans into every home game (Pint at HT also), never any issue! The stewards know what lads may throw cans etc so they are the ones they search.

Away games is a diff story, Rovers very hard to get even 1 bottle in although odd time you get it in.
Cork no chance, was nearly refused entry as i had a can on me! Got in after Steward basically told a guard to cop the **** on.
Any other away game, no issue with getting drink in.

Stewards don’t even search you where you would hide drink!

Could literally replace the word can/ drink with flare/ flares and the response you'd get would be different! :D

Can take it or leave it myself tbh, few pre match pints/ half time/ full time then is grand. Though on the baltic nights an auld snifter is always good to have in your possession!

[Straightstory]

Was only ever drunk at one game (Ireland v Wales in 1990). Didn't enjoy the experience much. Save it for the pub later, lads and lasses.

[NeverFeltBetter]

When I was kid at a GAA game in Semple one year lads at the back were throwing cans, some still half-full, at those in the front (maybe aiming for the pitch? Ambitious if so). Made an impression on me (not literally, thankfully). I never drink during a game I'm attending.

[EatYerGreens]

Irish culture and society is saturated in alcohol to a degree that's pointless and unhealthy.

I suspect that fans of every club have their own humorous and/or horror stories of drunken idiots doing stupid things or sleeping their way through a crunch game.

Anyone who can't watch a game of football for 45 or 90mins without a drink really needs to assess where they're at in life IMO.

And the sort of characters who's attendance at an LOI match would be determined by the easy availability of alcohol are probably not the sort we'd want there anyway, as they'd be varying degrees of the annoying arses outlined in posts above.

[eitoof]

Any game I go to I'd have to drive some or all of the way. Drinking doesn't even enter the equation.

[thebronze14]

Generally don't drink going to home games but enjoy cangs on the way to away games or checking out the nearby pubs...Nice to have the option of a halftime pint but tbh it's more hassle queing up getting the pint and risking missing the start of the second

[bennocelt]

Here in Switzerland n Germany its very common to have a beer while watching the game, its normal. I enjoy having a beer watching the game, nothing wrong with that. Beer n football go hand in hand.

But here people dont tend to get mouldy drunk so I am not sure a similar system would work at all in Ireland. In fact it normal to see people on trams here with a can of beer at any given time and no one bats an eyelid!

Pre match/Half time/full time in the Dalymount bars is great craic though.

[ToberonaTornado]

Drink 'til your full and never miss any match action!:D

Kinda *NSFW*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjAnMu218l0

[bennocelt]

How did you come across that video? :)

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Love having a beer at a game whenever I can but then again I generally wouldn’t have a load of beer before a game. It’s the lads who get mouldy drunk pre games that are the problem but they’re generally the problem whether there is beer served in the ground or not.

[osarusan]

Love having a beer at a game whenever I can but then again I generally wouldn’t have a load of beer before a game. It’s the lads who get mouldy drunk pre games that are the problem but they’re generally the problem whether there is beer served in the ground or not.
This is what I'd say too. The lads drunk enough to be a pain in the hole will be that whether there is a bar or not - some will be smuggling in drink regardless.

[Philosophizer]

Love having a beer at a game whenever I can but then again I generally wouldn’t have a load of beer before a game. It’s the lads who get mouldy drunk pre games that are the problem but they’re generally the problem whether there is beer served in the ground or not.
It basically all comes down to the unhealthy Irish drinking culture. Many Irish people are unable to be happy unless they're properly drunk, which isn't the case (or at least not to the same extent) in most other countries.
It's a terrible shame. I've visited over 30 countries in my life and in almost all those countries, if someone gets properly drunk it's a mistake, not a purposeful act. In countries with a healthy relationship with alcohol, people go home when they feel they're drunk. In Ireland, getting hammered is the intention for many.
I was at a well known cinema in Dublin last night and a guy one seat away from me guzzled a full bottle of red wine while watching the movie. A full bottle of wine... In the cinema!!!
That's the reason why we can't drink alcohol in public places in Ireland, and why it's probably a blessing in disguise that we can't drink legally in the stands, because many people can't control themselves and they ruin it for everyone else.

[brendy_éire]

It basically all comes down to the unhealthy Irish drinking culture.

We're not unique in our attitudes to the drink. We're fairly similar to the Brits and Scandinavians.

Our repressive alcohol legislation really doesn't help. It re-enforces the concept of alcohol consumpation being an 'event'. Have a beer for breakfast on a Tuesday morning, you're branded an alcoholic. Have a dozen pints on a Saturday night, no-one bats an eyelid. The opposite would be true in, for example, Portugal or Germany.

I'd love to see alcohol on sale at LoI grounds. It would encourage responsible drinking, eliminate the lads bringing bottles of spirits in and necking them by the end of the first half, and, the best selling point, would generate extra revenue for clubs.
I'd have little hope that it will happen any time soon though. It'd be far too progressive an idea for the FAI to pursue.

[Charlie Darwin]

I think people have a tendency to believe Ireland's culture with alcohol is somehow exceptional and more extreme than others. It's not really the case but I can understand why. There are cultural differences of course but a lot of countries have issues with drinking, as brendy mentioned.

[Longfordian]

True. I was in Prague recently and apparently the Czechs are quite proud of being the biggest beer drinkers in Europe.

[Philosophizer]

True. I was in Prague recently and apparently the Czechs are quite proud of being the biggest beer drinkers in Europe.

They might well drink more beer than us, given that it's home to the best Pilsners in the world, but their relationship with alcohol is a lot healthier than ours.

[Lim till i die]

Naggin of vodka into a seven up bottle and your sorted. The only thing worse than getting twisted before a LoI game is being stone cold sober during a LoI game.

[onlooker]

There was a time during the Liam Murphy era that id HAVE to be drunk watching the games.
Ahh Alan, Sure 1 bottle of bud would do that for you and then refill with water from the tap....

[Charlie Darwin]

They might well drink more beer than us, given that it's home to the best Pilsners in the world, but their relationship with alcohol is a lot healthier than ours.
No it's not.

[ToberonaTornado]

How did you come across that video? :)


I think.....? myself and a US football supporter had this conservation about beer at games before(about 8 years ago)....caught me right in the urinals he did! :D

[Philosophizer]

No it's not.

Man, i'm telling you, i've lived in Mlada Boleslav in the Czech Republic. Yes, Czechs can drink a lot, but you don't see them making a holy show of themselves in public as often as some Irish people do.

For instance, back in 2012 when Ireland were playing their opening game of the euros against Croatia, i took my Czech girlfriend and a couple of other mates to the fanpark thing that was set up down at the George's dock. She had never seen anything like it. Wall to wall, people were sideways drunk. There was ****ing, vomiting, fighting, riding in public, and just a distinctly unpleasant atmosphere. It was a disgrace so we left after about 10 mins. Some Irish soccer fans just can't be trusted to drink responsibly.

[Philosophizer]

Above is a very extreme example of course, but i'm just trying to illustrate my point.

[Charlie Darwin]

An extreme example by definition doesn't illustrate your point.

[sbgawa]

Man, i'm telling you, i've lived in Mlada Boleslav in the Czech Republic. Yes, Czechs can drink a lot, but you don't see them making a holy show of themselves in public as often as some Irish people do.

For instance, back in 2012 when Ireland were playing their opening game of the euros against Croatia, i took my Czech girlfriend and a couple of other mates to the fanpark thing that was set up down at the George's dock. She had never seen anything like it. Wall to wall, people were sideways drunk. There was ****ing, vomiting, fighting, riding in public, and just a distinctly unpleasant atmosphere. It was a disgrace so we left after about 10 mins. Some Irish soccer fans just can't be trusted to drink responsibly.



I don't think its an extreme example at all, I would NEVER go to any FREE public event in Ireland where drink is available,
almost without exception its a disaster.....

[Philosophizer]

No it's not.


An extreme example by definition doesn't illustrate your point.

Care to get involved in the discussion in a more constructuive way?

[Nesta99]

Anyone who wants to see the worst of alcohol available in abundance at a 'sporting' event should go to the Cheltenham Festival. I have never seen so many well dressed men and women in a complete mess in one place. English or Irish it was embaressing in general. In the hotel we stayed in people were passed out in corridors, and stairwells. No agression that you could have at a football match but ye'd swear that these people were having their first ever drink and the next day it was being banned.
The UK habit of drinking during lunch hours among city workers in particular is bizarre. 2 or 3 pints at lunch then another 2 or 3 before the train home, every day and then there is the break out on Friday evenings. Add in the whole alpha male egos with the drink in those circles and there were plenty of scuffles among lads that were suited and booted.
Drink as part of the football hooligan problems in England is more an issue at international away games than domestically in my experience. I suppose travelling fans, if travelling any good distance drink is an greater issue whereas home support tend to have a few beers before and after games and filter away over the hours after the game.

The English, in a sweeping statement, drink less but neck pints in a shorter space of time than we tend to do here. A pint in every bar on a high street is their preferred way rather than settling in to a place and maybe being there 'til 2 or 3am like many here.

If supporters were inclined to sit in ticket allocated seats rather than stand in closed groups rammed in to one area I suppose in theory beer could be served. It would be irritating for those not fussed and there is the inevitable idiot who chucks their pint everywhere when there is a goal. There might be some more control than the way things are with sneaking cans in or skulling nagans of vodka before going in to the ground. Certainly if there is a contentious decision its better to have people with plastic pint glasses than cans that often land on the pitch. At rugby matches it seems to be a badge of honour among some if stinking of beers after pints getting thrown everywhere.

Its not so much the level of alcohol consumption thats the issue as much as the (almost) cultural behaviour of people that are drunk. Whether drunken behaviour involves agression, acting like complete fools aka 'having the craic', or socialising with your group and leaving for home relatively quietly definitely varies from country to country. Cities on the continent it doesnt feel like yer running the gauntlet getting home or queuing for a taxi is looking for trouble.

[outspoken]

Anyone who wants to see the worst of alcohol available in abundance at a 'sporting' event should go to the Cheltenham Festival. I have never seen so many well dressed men and women in a complete mess in one place. English or Irish it was embaressing in general. In the hotel we stayed in people were passed out in corridors, and stairwells. No agression that you could have at a football match but ye'd swear that these people were having their first ever drink and the next day it was being banned.
The UK habit of drinking during lunch hours among city workers in particular is bizarre. 2 or 3 pints at lunch then another 2 or 3 before the train home, every day and then there is the break out on Friday evenings. Add in the whole alpha male egos with the drink in those circles and there were plenty of scuffles among lads that were suited and booted.
Drink as part of the football hooligan problems in England is more an issue at international away games than domestically in my experience. I suppose travelling fans, if travelling any good distance drink is an greater issue whereas home support tend to have a few beers before and after games and filter away over the hours after the game.

The English, in a sweeping statement, drink less but neck pints in a shorter space of time than we tend to do here. A pint in every bar on a high street is their preferred way rather than settling in to a place and maybe being there 'til 2 or 3am like many here.

If supporters were inclined to sit in ticket allocated seats rather than stand in closed groups rammed in to one area I suppose in theory beer could be served. It would be irritating for those not fussed and there is the inevitable idiot who chucks their pint everywhere when there is a goal. There might be some more control than the way things are with sneaking cans in or skulling nagans of vodka before going in to the ground. Certainly if there is a contentious decision its better to have people with plastic pint glasses than cans that often land on the pitch. At rugby matches it seems to be a badge of honour among some if stinking of beers after pints getting thrown everywhere.

Its not so much the level of alcohol consumption thats the issue as much as the (almost) cultural behaviour of people that are drunk. Whether drunken behaviour involves agression, acting like complete fools aka 'having the craic', or socialising with your group and leaving for home relatively quietly definitely varies from country to country. Cities on the continent it doesnt feel like yer running the gauntlet getting home or queuing for a taxi is looking for trouble.

Galway races on students day is the same, little naggins all over the gaff Don’t know why anyone would want to pay €30 in to a place to get drunk. Ruins it for the genuine racing fan

[NeverFeltBetter]

A quick Google search couldn't find European stats for drunk and disorderly crime, but it must be out there somewhere. This doesn't have to be an anecdotal conversation.

[Mr A]

Galway Races on any of the big days is a horror show, nothing to do with students. I have been through town on the big nights a couple of times and when sober it's quite something to witness, and not in a good way.

But anyway, there should be no issue with people having a few drinks at most games so long as there is no glass involved and it's kept sensible. The problem is always the few who ruin it for the many.

But it should not be insurmountable.