Andy Burnham has indicated he may lift the ban on drinking alcohol in the stands at football matches, saying it is unfair for fans to be singled out when other sports allow it.
The prime minister, a committed Everton fan who still attends matches, said there was a case for trialling an end to the ban to bring football in line with rugby and cricket.
The Football Supporters' Association and the English Football League welcomed the move, but police warned it would be "incredibly rash" to make changes without considering their impact on safety.
Burnham has long opposed the ban, calling it discriminatory and out of date, harking back to an era when football violence was fuelled by drinking within view of the pitch.
Asked by reporters on the plane to New York about lifting the ban, Burnham said: "I don’t think it’s fair for football fans to be singled out in that way and I made that point. I think that legislation dates to an era where football was very different. And I do believe there is a case to remove that discrimination.
"There are different ways it could be done, perhaps on a trial basis. But I’m not going to back away from what’s been a long-held view of mine. I don’t see how it can be fair that some supporters of one sport can be treated differently."
The Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 prohibits drinking in sight of the pitch in England and Wales. The fan-led review of football governance in 2021 called for the ban to be re-examined and suggested
