Football alcohol ban

[Deleted]

Jim Murphy and the Scottish Labour Party are campaigning to end the ban on alcohol sales in Scotland's football grounds, claiming that footie fans are being discriminated against because you can have a pint at the rugby. Some might say it's a shameless bid for popular votes?

The ban's been effective for what, 20 years now and was implemented because of seriously bad behaviour that caused mayhem, misery and violence around--in particular---Old Firm (Rangers v Celtic) games.

You'd be hard pushed to find any evidence that availability of alcohol's caused issues at rugby games. Why might this be?

It's also the case that certain footie games are timed for earlier in the day, noon or thereabouts, to try to minimise drunken behaviour as the pubs don't open mainly till 11 near the grounds. However violent incidents haven't exactly disappeared either, and stats show that DOMESTIC violence increases during Old Firm games.

Personally I think the ban should stay.

When we deregulated alcohol licences generally about 10 years back--in a bid to introduce European cafe culture--what we've actually seen is the very opposite of what was intended.

All we've done is create a monster--that's become a culture--- that's now EVERYWHERE in the UK and becoming the norm in parts of Europe and the US and maybe even Aus, Oz?

Personally I'd like to see the footie ban stay. I'd also regulate the very late 4-5am licences that are so common now. Talk about closing gates after ridiculously pissed horse has bolted, though?

[ozneil]

Funnily enough only happens in soccer matches, some of the ethnics tend to to get rather excited watching their teams.

Aussie rules (aerial ping pong) and league (mud wrestling) have a few incidents from time to time but as a general rule spectators behave and show no animosity to opposition supporters.

all our major stadiums have seats for all spectators and that makes throwers rather obvious so would discourage them. There were some bottle throwing incidents a while ago so bottles cannot be brought in. You can still get booze but its sold in plastic "glasses"

The exception proves the rule was a brawl at a big RSL club where they had the Indian / Pakistan cricket match on the big screen couple nights ago. There was a stamash between the supporters! Cricket of all things!!

[bormes]

There is more than enough places to eat or drink nowadays.
In the times past the Pubs shut mid afternoon and closed nightly at 9.30, then 10.15 and closed all day Sunday, that contributed to rushing lots of drink.( Much like Australia when the six o clock closing times used to happen!!)
It also meant "carry oots o screwtaps were taken into games with the catastrophic results!!
KEEP THE BAN!!!!
Incidently, I have witnessed OFTEN behaviour by Rugby fans at both International level and club level that if said behaviour was done by football supporters, the Police WOULD have charged them.
The reason they are not, is mostly because the Police are more wary of bullying or brow beating Rugby fans, who are often from the wealthier sections of our society and as such often have Lawyers, Doctors senior Police Officers etc., as the fans/culprits,
Now in fairness the Rugby fans generally are better behaved and better fun, however make no mistake, they too can be arses as often as their fellow fans who watch football.?

[ozneil]

I know I have done this somewhere before

Scottish Rugby supporters in Oz following the Scotland tour

First set scene------- Circular Quay the Tourist hub of Australia (well Sydney anyway) it is on Sydney Cove roughly horseshoe shaped. Om the East side is the Opera House on the West side The Rocks a real tourist Mecca on the base or the South side are the Ferry Quays. At the South West corner is an open area. Hardly a park but has grass and flower beds, here is where the buskers mostly hang out including a Scottish piper in full fig.

OK got the picture?

Here we go

One morning a group of Asian tourists were heading from the Opera House to The Rocks lead by a guide with his little red flag on a stick. Coming the other way. heading towards Opera House or more likely the Pallequin pub, were a group of about 30 Scottish rugby supporters, mostly jocks in kilts but a few jockettes wearing tartan tammies, anyhow lots of tartan no doubts who they were. The piper saw them and promptly broke into the Gay Gordons etc etc the Scots immediately started an impromptu dance session but being short of jockettes they grabbed any spare girl Chinese tourists (I think they had to be Chinese the Japanese and Koreans are too up tight) who had providently just arrived. Soon we had Chinese girls being whirled around by brawny Scots having the time of their lives hooching and hawing with the best of them with arms held high in best Scottish tradition. This went on for at least 10 minutes till the piper ran out of puff then sadly both parties continued in their opposite directions with much laughter and waving

[Deleted]

Feb 17, 2015 22:22:55 GMT -1 bormes said:

In the times past the Pubs shut mid afternoon and closed nightly at 9.30, then 10.15 and closed all day Sunday, that contributed to rushing lots of drink.( Much like Australia when the six o clock closing times used to happen!!)
It also meant "carry oots o screwtaps were taken into games with the catastrophic results!!
KEEP THE BAN!!!!
Incidently, I have witnessed OFTEN behaviour by Rugby fans at both International level and club level that if said behaviour was done by football supporters, the Police WOULD have charged them.
The reason they are not, is mostly because the Police are more wary of bullying or brow beating Rugby fans, who are often from the wealthier sections of our society and as such often have Lawyers, Doctors senior Police Officers etc., as the fans/culprits,
Now in fairness the Rugby fans generally are better behaved and better fun, however make no mistake, they too can be arses as often as their fellow fans who watch football.?

Keep the ban, indeed--until a creative solution can be found?
Because it does seem a shame that the majority of folks are being punished by the behaviour of a few knuckledraggers.

At the rugby bars, the staff are trained to refuse to serve anyone that's looking a bit over the limit---- but of course soberer pals can still buy drink for you.

Thinking creatively, I wonder if there's not a simple solution. What about this--- you buy your event ticket and have the option to pay a few quid more upfront for a package that includes a couple of drinks at the bar.

We already do this in the music industry, using wristbands with prepaid tear-off tokens that you present at the bar in exchange for a drink. So you can easily limit the per person tokens to two, say. Thus everyone can enjoy a wee alcoholic drink but can't buy more as there's no cash bar.

It wouldn't solve the problem of folks that tank up before going through the turnstiles; that is down to the clubs themselves to police. They'd need to want to.

The whole issue of licensing footie grounds is complex. The clubs will say they need the extra income. While Scottish Labour insist on waging a class war without actually REALISING the damage caused by seriously drunk 'fans'.

It's a mess.