Football fans could soon be allowed to drink alcohol in stadiums again after a ban on drinking in stands was introduced 36 years ago.
After Tracey Crouch, a former sports minister and Conservative MP, completed an independent review of the issue, the ban could be lifted.
The Times report that Crouch wants to pilot the plans at National League and League Two matches before it is introduced higher up the football pyramid in England.
Drinking alcohol in the stands is permitted at other sporting events in Britain, such as rugby and cricket, as well as football matches in Europe.
Crouch is hopeful that the return of drinking in stands will discourage fans from binge drinking before they arrive at matches.
She hopes that a lifting of the ban will result in increased revenue for clubs at the bottom of the pyramid.
Speaking to The Times, she explained: “Take a club like Dulwich Hamlet, which is in National League South. It’s revenue is generated through its refreshments.
“If it gets promoted to the National League Premier, it effectively stops generating that revenue during a game.
“They said openly in evidence to us that they cannot afford to get promoted because of the rules around alcohol.
“Lots of clubs generate a lot of their income through their bars and I think it’s time to look at this issue again.
“We do have this bizarre situation where you can go to Headingley and drink as a cricket fan, but go to Elland Road and you can’t drink as a football fan.
“We kettle people into drinking quickly at half-time. And that is the unhealthy aspect of the football fan’s relationship with alcohol.
“They drink a lot in a short space of time. My recommendation is to pilot this, and not to have to down a pint during half-time.