PM Andy Burnham keen to make huge change to the match-day experience at Middlesbrough and beyond

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has indicated he is open to scrapping the law that bans football fans from drinking alcohol in view of the pitch. Speaking to reporters in New York on September 24, Burnham labeled the existing 1985 legislation as discrimination against football supporters compared to other sports. He suggested that potential changes to the policy could begin on a trial basis.

The 1985 ban currently affects clubs in the top five tiers of English men's football, including Middlesbrough. The Football Supporters' Association and several EFL clubs support reconsidering the rules, but the UK Football Policing Unit warned that lifting the prohibition would present significant challenges to safety and policing at matches.