Town chief executive Simon Clegg is calling on the Football Association and Football League to back a change in the law which would allow football fans to drink alcohol while watching games in the manner of supporters of other sports. Currently, fans are prevented from drinking "within sight of the pitch” 15 minutes from kick-off under a law passed in 1985 at the height of football's hooliganism problems.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Clegg wrote to David Bernstein, the chairman of the FA, and his Football League equivalent Greg Clarke with the letter subsequently having been circulated at a Football League meeting.
In part the letter reads: "We feel that the time is right to review the current restrictions on alcohol in football stadia and consider whether such decisions could now not be delegated down to the local safety advisory group.
"The restrictions within the 1985 Act are not applied to any other games or events, including both rugby codes, cricket, the recent Olympics Games in London and music events, even when they are performed in stadia which are predominantly used for football.
"Based on this evidence we see football as being unfairly targeted and forced to remain in a position of subjugation that is no longer warranted.”