Soccer-Top English women's clubs to allow alcohol in trial
(Reuters) -Banned for decades at men's games in England to curb hooliganism, alcohol will be allowed in the stands for seven Women's Super League clubs during the 2025-26 season as a trial.
The burgeoning women's game in England has proved a far more family-friendly experience than men's football, where foul language is common and violence often flared in past decades, leading to a 1985 ban on alcohol in view of the pitch.
For the upcoming season, fans at the stadiums of top-tier women's clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, London City Lionesses, Manchester City and Manchester United can consume alcohol, the WSL said on Thursday.
The women's game is not covered by the 1985 legislation.
The trial began last year at 19 fixtures of four second-tier WSL2 clubs involving 51,000 supporters. Two thirds of fans were in favour, with 84% rating their safety between nine and 10 out of 10, the WSL said.
"Players and match officials noted no change to fan behaviour, while average expenditure by fans at stadiums, with regards to food and drink, increased across the fixtures, alongside a growth in attendances," it said.
As well as underlining the cleaner atmosphere at women's games, the decision is a nod to the success of in-seat drinking at the 2025 Women's European Championship.
The 2025-26 WSL begins on September 6.
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
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