Will Scotland’s football booze ban be lifted?

The post Will Scotland’s football booze ban be lifted? appeared first on The Drinks Business.

Mar 6, 2025 - 11:50

Football and alcohol: a pairing as old as the game itself, yet in Scotland, this partnership remains in exile within stadium walls. Edinburgh, Scotland - January 19th, 2011: Looking towards Leith from Salisbury Crags. Football ground in foreground.

However, with whispers of a pilot scheme floating through the corridors of Hampden Park, could fans soon be toasting a new era of matchday libations? A Freedom of Information (FOI) release suggests that the Scottish Government remains, at best, lukewarm on the matter — but there are signs the conversation is no longer completely off the table.

Background

The prohibition on alcohol at Scottish football matches dates back to the infamous 1980 Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and Rangers. Scenes of fans charging the Hampden pitch led to the swift and decisive introduction of the alcohol ban, enshrined in law since 1981. Today, a pint at the rugby? No problem. A beer in a hospitality box at a football ground? Perfectly legal. But a cold one on the concourse before kick-off? Absolutely not.

In the mixer

While official government policy remains unchanged — “no plans” to review the law — the FOI reveals that Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport, Maree Todd, has been in discussions with the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) on the subject. It seems the SPFL, along with the Scottish Football Association (SFA), has been pressing the case that football fans are being unfairly targeted compared to their rugby-loving counterparts. As the FOI documents confirm, Police Scotland has indicated openness to “discussions” on the topic, while the Scottish Government acknowledges that many fans already consume alcohol in controlled environments such as ‘fanzones’ or hospitality areas. This raises an obvious question: if you can enjoy a lager in a lounge before taking your seat, is a concourse pint really a step too far?

The European example

Across the continent, a beer in the stands is hardly revolutionary. In Germany, Italy and many other European nations, fans can enjoy a matchday beverage within the stadium without mass outbreaks of disorder. Even in England, where the ban on drinking within sight of the pitch remains in place, alcohol is freely available in concourses. Meanwhile, a new pilot scheme in the Women’s Championship south of the border will allow fans to drink in the stands — a move that could well set a precedent.

Safety, snobbery or stubbornness?

Opposition to lifting the ban remains, however with public health concerns still paramount. First Minister John Swinney made it clear last year that he sees no reason to revisit the policy, citing Scotland’s relationship with alcohol and the progress made in making football a family-friendly environment. Yet, as highlighted in the FOI documents, the government recognises that “football in Scotland now is very different to the early 1980s” and acknowledges that a blanket approach may no longer be appropriate. The argument that football fans should be treated differently from rugby fans — who can sip a beer at Murrayfield with minimal fuss — is growing ever weaker.