Fans will be given the option to drink alcohol in sight of the pitch at up to 14 top women’s clubs as part of an expanded trial next season.
Four clubs – Birmingham, Bristol City, Newcastle and Southampton – took part in a similar trial in the second half of last season and it has now been extended to include up to a further 10 clubs.
The sale of alcohol in sight of the pitch is illegal in men’s football, but the legislation does not cover the women’s game.
The new clubs joining the trial are Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, London City Lionesses, Manchester City and Manchester United from the Women’s Super League, plus Crystal Palace, Sheffield United and Sunderland in the second-tier Women’s Super League 2.
Chelsea, London City Lionesses and Newcastle’s involvement is still subject to approval from their local safety advisory groups.
The aim of expanding the trial is to test at larger scale across a full season, covering a broader range of crowd and stadium sizes.
Some of the country’s biggest football stadia, including Old Trafford, the Emirates Stadium, the Etihad Stadium, Goodison Park and Stamford Bridge, could potentially be involved.
Many of the venues are set to offer the opportunity for tickets to be purchased in designated alcohol-free areas, WSL Football said.
Holly Murdoch, the chief operating officer of WSL Football, said: “Expanding this trial for the new campaign, encompassing our Barclays WSL teams and additional Barclays WSL2 clubs too, is part of our strategy to offer a best-in-class experience for our fans attending matches.
“Exploring giving supporters the choice to drink alcohol in the stands was something we were excited to trial and, following such positive feedback from the proof-of-concept version, we’re looking forward to opening it up to more venues and equally hearing from those at the heart of it – our clubs and supporters.”
Feedback from the four-club trial in the second half of last season was positive. Two-thirds surveyed supported the idea of the trial continuing, with 48 per cent strongly supporting its continuation.
There were no safety incidents reported and 84 per cent of fans rated their sense of safety at nine or 10 out of 10.
