Drinking during the game
So where do we stand, or sit, on drinking whilst watching a football match at The Valley?
Not since 1985 when I was barely drinking age have you been allowed to drink a pint within the sight of the pitch, but Prime Minister Andy Burnham said last week that he would support lifting a ban.
Football has long been the pariah of sports in that fans cannot be trusted to sip on a beer whilst watching a match live. You can do that at rugby, cricket, horse racing, F1, tennis and even now at women’s football.
Americans are normally shocked when they realize that it is a massive no, no at British football matches. Drinking a beer and eating an outsized hotdog in American sports stadia goes together like strawberries and cream.
But, is it what we need at our games. Is it what is missing from watching our national sport live?
It is a perfectly enjoyable drinking a pint whilst at a lower non-league fixture. That is sadly rare for me to do these days, but my Hornchurch mates are still complaining that a little joy was taken away from them when they got promoted to the National League.
But, drinking during the game at The Valley?
We all know why it was banned in the first place. Youngsters think you are telling porkies when you regale them of stories of going to football in the eighties, and I get pretty uncomfortable myself when I think about some of the situations I used to find myself in.
Still today they take the top of your bottled water off when entering a stadium fearful that you will launch it at an opposition left back.
For most of a few generations it will be weird sitting or standing during a game holding a pint. Most of us that enjoy a drink with our football find plenty of opportunity to have a pre and post match one at a local hostelry or in Bartrams or the Fan’s Bar.
I usually give a half time snifter a miss as well. The queues are too long and it will only mean that I will probably have to nip downstairs for a 2nd half pee.
And that is just one of the reasons I wouldn’t want to see it allowed. I have long accepted that you get treated like a child or a hooligan when you go to football, but the game and the experience has changed beyond recognition from that of standing on a crumbling terrace and fearing for your life as you walked to the station.
Surely adults can wait 45 minutes until their next drink? That is hardly a atrocious restriction to one’s basic rights.
In practical terms the re-introduction of drinking in your seat, which is a lot different from standing on a terrace leaning against a crush barrier, will bring the small annoyance of people pushing by you to go to the toilet or the bar for another one, and then spilling one over you on their walk back.
Heaven help us if the Covered End becomes like Box-Park or the outdoor fan parks when we score a goal. We’ll all get home covered in beer. Plus, the game has done so much to make it family friendly and alcohol is not going to help how some men act towards women in front of their mates, sadly.
And of course there’s the more likely chance it will kick off as fans are fuelled by extra fighting juice. Football grounds are nearly all safe havens to watch the beautiful game these days but groups of football fans, especially those with a few unnecessary extra beers in them, do have the capacity to make it an intimidating experience for those around them.
Like the 8-team play-off places, clubs will see an opportunity to make more money. Blokes roaming the isles up and down the steps with a large tray of beers around his neck selling them, anyone?
I am sure there will be a load of studies and test runs done and maybe more booze won’t be consumed at a game. Perhaps it allows you to sip on what’s left in your glass at your seat as opposed to downing it at 2.55pm.
Does Andy Burnham’s idea improve the Charlton experience, is this just attempting to fix a problem that doesn’t really exist?
I’d be interested in your views.
CA agree, there’s no need for it in the stands and on the terraces, but the not drinking in sight of the pitch rule could be modified and you could remain behind glass with a pint in hand if that is your desired way of watching a game.
Ridiculous idea.
You can freely drink before and after a game so why can’t you refrain for 105 minutes?
At a recent Women’s game an idiot bringing beer back to his seat managed to spill half a pint over my Wife. In her hair down her back & the idiot didn’t seem to think he’d done anything wrong.
I’m old enough to remember drunks on the terraces.It wasn’t pleasent.
Absolutely against it. I can only see bad things coming out of it, even though our fans are generally well-behaved.
Lots of reasons not to reintroduce it but this paragraph is one big reason.
“In practical terms the re-introduction of drinking in your seat, which is a lot different from standing on a terrace leaning against a crush barrier, will bring the small annoyances of people pushing by you to go to the toilet or the bar for another one, and then spilling one over you on their walk back”
Many of us will have sat in a crowded cricket ground to have a beer accidently kicked over behind you and find that next moment you are paddling in your own space; my own group is certainly not innocent in this respect. At least, probably only at a Test Match these days, movement is restricted to being between overs. At a football match no such restriction will apply, and if you sit in the wrong row you could find yourself doing an impromptu Mexican Wave with the comings and goings and finding your view blocked when Charlton score; such a rare occurrence these days you dont too many chances to experience a second or third.
It’s a bloody stupid idea from an idiot government !
Its a hard no from me. My experience (not sitting in Andy Burnhams director box) is the fairly regular annoyance of late arrivals or early half time departures. The whole row has to stand up, also affecting the 2 rows behind. Typically, oten at the moment we are having an attack! Additional beer or toilet trips will add to my pain. The game can be watched from the concourse if you badly need an expensive and tasteless piint.
Leave it be…..we are all used to the rules now, and have structured our visits to professional football accordingly. It has overcome most of the problems that were present in the past, so why change.
Couldn’t agree more- there is no solid argument for it?! I am like you, 58 yoa, so I remember the dark days and have no desire to return. I love the atmosphere of a derby game and the banter, but there is a reason football banned the drink during games and introduced seating. The atmosphere is just as good , ask anyone who attended our play off semi final evenings – they have rank very high in terms of atmosphere. Fair play, I often enjoy one before the game but look forward to the “tap room” (upminster) or “The Railway” (Hornchurch) following the game, I don’t need it during as well.
The irony of this? They have banned drinking during the game at Welsh International rugby in the majority of the stadium to allow fans to enjoy the game (spilling of drink or similar behaviour). If you have ever attended the O2, the constant disturbance from those downing too much is insufferable!
Maybe Andy Burnham should test it out and be a steward for the trial, how long before he changes his stance?!
Simple question; is the right to enjoy the game (the point of the day), greater than the right to drink alcohol for another 90 mins, I think so!
The idea of supporters pushing through the rows, pouring their beer everywhere. Chucking it in the air when we score a goal (if we ever do) is not very appealing to me. And at £8 a pint i don’t want my beer knocked over or spilled thanks.
Have a drink before the game, have as much as you want after the game (usually drowning our sorrows) But during the match no thanks.
Our unelected pretend PM is as clueless on this topic as he is on the bigger issues affecting our beloved country.
And 8 quid for a pint of fizzy p1ss in a plastic cup when you can have a decent pint before the game?? Maybe the beer in the corporate seats at Everton is decent but no thanks.
As you know CA, there are many annoyances associated with watching “soccer” and other sports here in the US and the constant back and forth of spectators buying beer (and other concessions ) or beer-sellers getting in the way of the action are amongst them. Football back home doesn’t need this.
In the early sixties, myself and a friend were sitting on the top step of the deserted East Terrace on a warm day and a van appeared behind us selling bottles of JC. We naturally had a few bottles with the result that when I got home my father asked how the game was, and who won. Unfortunately I could not remeber the score or who won, so I had to wait for the Evening Standard man coming round with the Classified Results! It was a 0-0 draw so I did not miss much!
Anyone wishing they’d had a beer when witnessing a 6-0 defeat at home?
Great story, Joe.
Yes, sometimes Charlton have only been watchable after a fair few pints.
An unusual but very welcome consensus.
The proscription of consuming alcohol ‘in sight of the pitch’ during the game, when one is indoors, behind glass is obviously silly and could be revised to allow those paying ridiculous amounts to watch games from areas devoid of atmosphere to get steadily drunker. The noisy minority clammering to be allowed to disrupt so many others and drench them in overpriced fizzy slop should be ignored. Football fans have been ‘discriminated against’ like this for years to the benefit of us all. Touting football match tickets is more tightly restricted than the touting of theatre and concert tickets but there’s no ballyhoo about that, is there?