That certainly isn't true EG. I can name you a list of stadiums in England longer than your arm with corporate boxes where you can happily drink in view of the pitch - some in the open air - with a beer, and not a sniff of a concern form anyone. In fact - there's no staff/stewards/security to be seen to bother you.
That is the first time I've heard of a notion of not being able to drink within view of the pitch. It's not even workable as a policy.
Excellent post. The issue here isn't whether beer should be sold or banned in football grounds, it's whether we, as a people, are responsible enough to be allowed have a few while watching a game. And I don't think we are. Every single Shels away trip I see some adult Shels fan out of his head drunk acting the fool. Irish people have this compulsion to drink around any semi important event. It's pathetic. I'm not for a minute saying that one shouldn't drink before, after or during a game but it's those who feel the need to drink to enjoy these occassions who I worry about.
54,321 sold - wws will never die - ***
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Nya Ullevi for last years Uefa Cup game were selling beer, 4% i think,UEFA put a stop to it at half-time and nearly caused a riot as result even tho there was no problems with the cops or stewards![]()
A few seasons back I had occasional access to a Corporate Box at Spurs and they were very strict against taking drinks from the Bar/Dining Area to the seats at the Glass Windows - even to the point of having signs made up to that effect. Indeed, if you sneaked a bottle with you and were seen sipping from it, they asked you to withdraw further inside.
Last season I was in a Box at Twickenham for the Premiership Play-Off Final and we were allowed to drink within the Box itself (from where you could see the pitch handy enough, as it happens), but we were told not to take our drinks out to the little open-air balcony in front of the Box.
As for elsewhere in the football stadia generally, there is a strict policy against taking either bottles or glasses (both only available in plastic) from the bar area into the seating or standing area. In fact, at Spurs they have Stewards at the steps, with big bins alongside to dump your glass (even if half full) before you go back out to the seating area.
It's the same at Griffin Park, and every other League Ground I can remember attending (nearly 70 of the 92) i.e. it is prohibited to drink alcohol either on the terraces or in the seats.
So unless the Rule for Corporate Boxes has been relaxed recently, then anyone within these who drinks alcohol within sight of the pitch is strictly speaking breaking the law. As for the enforceability, Corporate Boxes often have Waiter Service, so that they (or the Bar Staff) may simply refuse to serve more alcohol in the event of non-compliance.
Edit:
In fact I've just found the following:
http://www.flaweb.org.uk/docs/faqs/faq011.php
The Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 prevents: -
* drunken entry into a football ground (which, in practice, to be an arrestable offence includes disorderly behaviour);
* the consumption of alcohol within view of the playing area including, during the restricted period (15 minutes before the start of the event to 15 minutes after the end of the event), rooms within the ground from which the event may be directly viewed;
* the consumption of alcohol on certain coaches, trains and motor vehicles travelling to a designated football match;
* the possession of fireworks or flares.
The Act applies to the following sporting events:-
* Association football matches in which one or both of the participating teams represents a club which is for the time being a member (whether a full or associate member) of the Football League, the Football Association Premier League, the Football Conference National Division, the Scottish Football League or Welsh Premier League, or represents a country or territory.
* Association football matches in competition the Football association Cup (other than in the preliminary or qualifying round).
The Act only applies in England and Wales.
Last edited by EalingGreen; 14/07/2007 at 5:31 PM.
I take it you live in England EalingGreen?
I was at Villa Park and City of Manchester stadium last year and the latter of the two definitely didn't shut 15 minutes before the game. It stayed open untill the second half started and then shut for the game. I'm nearly certain it was the same in Villa Park although not 100% on that one.
Incidently I'd love bookies stands at the matches here. It's little things that would make attending games over here just that bit more appealing.
Yes, I live in England (in Ealing, funnily enough!)
If you see my Edit to my previous post, you'll see that under the 1985 Legislation, Football Stadium Bars are supposed to shut 15 minutes before kick-off and I doubt if that has since been amended, since Spurs adhere strictly to the policy, and it wouldn't be like them to miss the slightest chance to screw the last shekhel out of their long-suffering punters! (I know, I'm one).
In Germany the rule is simple - all the beer they can sell you (except in Nürnberg where you can only get two 0,5s at a time to speed up the queues). High risk games have alcohol-free drinks only but they are few and far between, thankfully. Most cops over there doubt the value of the practice but it keeps the politicians happy.
There should be beer left right and centre at games. The growing number of usual suspects here can twist their knickers all they like over a bit of scooping at games, but coke is the real problem. Stick that on the back of your hand and snort it!
im currently living in america at the moment and i go to see a baseball game about once a month.. beers are sold at every section of the stadium and they have people going around selling beers from a try.. the limit is 2 beers on any one sale, im sure if it would work in ireland if say 2 tkts were given out at the turnstiles, these have to be used to purchase alcohol and therefore you have a two drink limit excluding halftime inside the club bar... i know people will say that you could get 10 tkt off your friends if they werent drinking but if your of age and behave wat harm????
ha ha well with the revenue generated bythe booze extra personel could be deployed by the clubs.. the rule states that no alcohol may be consumed withing view of the pitch. wat about wexford youths bar that over looks the pitch/ does this break the rules? i hope not cause thats an excellent area to watch a game..
Well the last time i went Corporate at a football game in England, for example, was at Sunderland last season.
Our box consisted of a glass-walled room with a large dining table, a beer full of booze, and a small open air balcony outside. You can see the game from the dining table (though possibly only by standing up) and you obviously have alcoholic drinks with your meal. You could watch the game from the room generally if you were standing up as well.
Staff only come into the room to serve you your meal, take bets and occassionally check you're ok - the rest of the time you're left to your own devices. And there was nothing and no-one to stop you drinking insie whlst watching the match, or taking drink onto the small open-air balcony.
Last edited by gilberto_eire; 15/07/2007 at 9:25 PM.
There's the right way, the wrong way.... and the Max Power way!! :-D
I Have been over in Australia for the past two years and been to plenty of AFL matches seen the socceroos seen Rugby both league and union, and on every occasion I was able to get a drink in the ground. There is certain parts of the grounds where they only sell mid strength lager rather then full strength , there I see no reason why we can’t go to a game and have a few but the thing is the facilities are not there at home , and in oriels case the security sure as hell isn’t there either.
" Fail to prepare , then prepare to fail."
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