Alcohol and Football

[jagtastic]

57 minutes ago, DA Baracus said:

Would it? Given the costs involved in setting it up and employing and training people, I'd have my doubts. 

Think you are underestimating the amount of money big breweries throw at venues to install dispense equipment and tie them in to selling their beer. Carling / Molston Coors, Tennent's, Heineken, Ab-Inbev would all do it free of charge just for the brand presence in football grounds.

[ICTChris]

2 hours ago, WhiteRoseKillie said:

 

I'm guessing most of the advocates of drinking at the game weren't around before the ban caused by the 1980 Final. Football, yes, but equally Scottish society needs to start behaving like grown-ups when it comes to the country's relationship with alcohol. When you're drinking the likes of Buckfast or other "cost-effective" products, the desire to "enjoy" a drink is shown up for the nonsensical justification of dependence which it undoubtedly is.

 

I wasn't even alive around the 1980 final but it's safe to say that the culture of going to football has changed significantly since then.  As I understand it, you could take carry outs into the ground, cans of lager and glass bottles and stand around drinking them on old fashioned terracing, enclosed by fencing.  I don't know what stewarding there was, not much as far as I can see.  No-one is saying that we should go back to that.

I don't think it will happen, there isn't any political will for it.  AFter the stuff at the weekend a clamp down on football fans is more likely.

[craigkillie]

There's a real vibe of classism about that post too, anyone who likes an alcohol product that I consider myself too good for must be an alcoholic.

[DiegoDiego]

Would it? Given the costs involved in setting it up and employing and training people, I'd have my doubts. 
How many grounds are set up to cater for it? Having a pish, overpriced pint in a sterile section under a stand where you can't see the game and just need to stand about is hardly appealing. Clubs would need to designate areas for selling it and that would mean having to build new kiosks or use existing ones. Using existing ones would mean having to fire most catering staff as, in my experience, most of the staff are younger folk. They wouldn't be able to work in a kiosk that sells alcohol as they'd be underage. New staff would need to be hired and trained and they'd have to be paid more, since the main reason clubs employ younger folk to work the catering is because they can pay them less.
But where would folk stand around to drink these (pish, overpriced) pints? Some grounds would have space (those with big stands behind the goals mainly, although it could be cramped), but what about others? It's a no go on that basis alone for them. Think Inverness, Ayr, Ross County, Arbroath and even the away areas at Tannadice.
Even for those who have the space, the availability of a pint won't be enough if you just stand around on a concourse with it. Folk going a bit early and having a pint will be fine for some, but is that demographic going to entice enough folk to make it profitable? At grounds like East End where you can get a pint at the ground anyway (via the two bars), why would you walk round a few metres to be charged more for a poorer beer?
Leaving aside the places that have bars at their grounds, once the novelty wears off and folk realise they're standing in a dull concourse with no seating and no screens or music will not appeal. Will it be worth it to the clubs then if they lose money over it for no benefit?
I'm not against it happening at all; I just don't think it would be worth the while of clubs.

The fact that pretty much every sporting event I've been at where alcohol is allowed to be served had alcohol on sale leads me to believe that it would be worthwhile.

[JMDP]

6 hours ago, Ric said:

The second, regarding societal issues. That's far too generous. It's been pointed out, you don't get bottles thrown at darts, horse racing or rugby. Throwing bottles at players is not a societal issue, it's a very narrow specific one.

Not picking out your posts in general, but have you ever seen Aidy Lewis walk ons in Glasgow for the Premier League in darts? He gets absolutely pelted. Or any of the massive scraps there has been (UK wide) at horse racing? 

I personally think the most sensible solution is the one posted by VT a few pages back - it wouldn't be difficult to categorise games and sell alcohol based on that. For smaller clubs especially, it would be an excellent extra source of revenue with very little risk.

[VincentGuerin]

Hilarious to see people claiming you don't get bother at the darts or the horses.

I mean, the mind boggles.

On the bevvy issue, I'm very much pro-choice. It's daft to not have it at least available to punters sitting watching Motherwell v Inverness etc. But folk making mad claims like that crack me up.

Edited April 4, 2022 by VincentGuerin

[invergowrie arab]

55 minutes ago, DA Baracus said:

And the other parts?

If you promise to not take it personally.

Everyone is entitled not to like poor overpriced pints. Constantly going on about it or wearing it as  badge of honour is boring.

There is absolutely a snobbery/look at me I like a better class of beer about some of these comments. 

The fact poor overpriced pints sell by the millions at music festivals, theatres, and sporting events every year would suggest its not a big a problem as some people like to make out.

At the risk of boring everyone and marking myself out as a snob I don't really like drinking Carling from a plastic cup in a coverted gymnasium with no natural light. However, United turnover about 20 quid a fortnight from me for this dubious privilege. 

[AJF]

For clarity, my earlier post about Buckfast was purely in jest. I also drink it.

[Bairnardo]

I used to drink Buckfast and would probably do so again were it not for the fact that the caffeine would destroy my ability to sleep.

WRK punching down there for me.

[WhiteRoseKillie]

3 hours ago, AJF said:

I don't think it would significantly impact binge drinking per se, but I do think it may limit some people from opting for more lethal forms of booze. Plus, it may limit the amount of these bottles being brought in and being used as a projectile.

I'm firmly of the opinion that fans choose to drink during a game rather than need it to see them through. Some may have a dependency, but the vast majority will just be looking to enhance their experience with a drink. The amount of people that do so increases at big matches, which kind of proves that normally they can be fine to go without.

FFS...

[AJF]

9 minutes ago, WhiteRoseKillie said:

FFS...

?

[topcat(The most tip top)]

I find that drinking before the game deadens the pain of watching Scottish football

Which given that the whole thing is an exercise in masochism means it lessens the experience rather than enhances it.

[Theyellowbox]

IF clubs were allowed to sell alcohol inside grounds, it would very quickly become apparent whether it would be a) worthwhile and b) some kind of a safety risk. So why not do some trial games with willing clubs.

For example, take St Johnsone vs Livi at the weekend. You could pretty easily add a couple of temporary taps in or next to one of the pie stalls and have a couple of extra stewards in that bit making sure no drinks are take  to seats or anyone acting up. If that passes well, do it for say St Mirren vs Ross County or something. Once it is proven teams can both accommodate it on low risk and lower key games, then start rolling it out.

Clubs should be simply able to 'grade' games as many do for tickets, so category a games, local Derby games or Rangers and Celtic games, no alcohol. Category B (Say Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs), restricted times and outlets, category C, all pie stalls.

If and when there is something goes wrong, address that issue and/or club and let everyone else get on with it.

Works well in England and in reality, are the drinking habits of fans in any way comparable to that of fans in 60's, 70's or 80's? Throw in the far better security measures via CCTV etc and a few clubs aside, the only remaining issue is snobbery. 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Theyellowbox

[WhiteRoseKillie]

1 hour ago, craigkillie said:

There's a real vibe of classism about that post too, anyone who likes an alcohol product that I consider myself too good for must be an alcoholic.

Take it as you like - In my heavier-drinking days, I went for Newcastle Brown as it was pretty cost-effective, and I'm willing to bet that the majority of Buckfast consumers choose Devon's famous export for the same reason(the caffeine level is probably more of a physical factor, but as with most drugs, expectation will have its say as well). I don't consider myself too good for it - I simply find the taste horrendous. The taste being the reason most well-adjusted folks pick their libation of choice.

[WhiteRoseKillie]

18 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

I used to drink Buckfast and would probably do so again were it not for the fact that the caffeine would destroy my ability to sleep.

WRK punching down there for me.
 

Not at all - see above. I spent most of my teens on home brew and Newcastle - you'd struggle to punch down from there.

[coprolite]

I think that the assumption that everyone would be drinking pints of beer is outdated and sexist. There should be some babycham for the ladies. 

[topcat(The most tip top)]

If looking down on buckfast is snobbery then it's very basic, low level, entry grade, snobbery. 

 

 

[WhiteRoseKillie]

9 minutes ago, AJF said:

?

You apparently follow the biggest, bestest, staunchest team in the world, and do so in the company of 50k or so like-minded folks. Is that not enough, that you need an artificial stimulant* as well?

*Asuming you're on the Buckie - alcohol is actually a depressant.

[williemillersmoustache]

It's the buckfast drinkers looking down their nose at the Eldorado drinkers that I can't stand.

[WhiteRoseKillie]

3 minutes ago, topcat(The most tip top) said:

If looking down on buckfast is snobbery then it's very basic, low level, entry grade, snobbery. 

 

 

I don't think anyone's looking down on the product - but I am very much looking down on those who claim to enjoy it "for the taste". Oh, there will be a few who do but, like unsanctimonious vegans, very few and far between.

I am not familiar with Glen's(sp?) vodka - is it a superior product to Absolut or Smirnoff?