Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Thursday 24 September 2026 at 14:54 UK time that he wants to see beer return to football stands. Drinking alcohol in the stands at football matches in the top five tiers of English football, from the Premier League down to the National League, is currently illegal. It was outlawed in 1985 due to concerns over hooliganism.
Burnham, an Everton fan, said before he entered Downing Street that such a ban was wrong. Speaking while on a trip to the UN in New York this week, he said that is still the case. He noted that supporters watching other sports are permitted to drink while watching the action. He said: "I don't think it's fair for football fans to be singled out in that way and I made that point. 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 – it
