Selling alcohol to fans at football grounds could pose a risk to safety and cause public disorder, a Stirling University report has found.
According to the study, which looked at the impact of allowing the sale of alcohol more widely inside football grounds, there is also “uncertainty” over whether clubs would make a profit.
Alcohol is currently not permitted to be consumed while watching a match, and is only available within hospitality areas.
This legislation was introduced in the 1980s to reduce football-related violence and disorder.
However, it was revealed last week that Police Scotland and the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) are “open to discussions” on lifting the ban.
At the weekend, Dundee United owner Mark Ogren argued a controlled, safe approach to selling booze at games could cut down on pre-match bingeing and smuggling bottles into stadia.
But the new research found that if alcohol were to be on general sale in stadiums, it would bring “increased risk in relation to fan safety and public disorder”.
It added that the level of risk would depend on the “individual match”, as well as “crowd size, category of match and time of kick off”.
Alcohol profit ‘uncertain’ for football clubs
The report, funded by the Scottish Football Association (SFA) and SPFL, said a lift on the ban would be “at odds with the Scottish Government’s aims to reduce the societal normalisation of alcohol and reduce overall alcohol consumption”.
In addition, it was thought that while the sale of alcohol could bring additional income for clubs, profit was “uncertain” due to the investment in “mitigation measures”.
This included crowd management, meeting licensing standards, and other risk management criteria.
First Minister John Swinney previously said he is “not sympathetic” to allowing alcohol to be sold more widely at football games.
A Scottish Government spokesperson told the Press Association: “We have no plans to change the ban on alcohol sales at Scottish football grounds.
“We regularly meet with the Scottish Professional Football League to discuss a wide range of issues, including the sale and consumption of alcohol at football matches.
“We will continue to engage with the football authorities, supporters’ groups and clubs on ways to enhance the fan experience.”
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