WSL Fans Can Now Drink Pitch-Side, Premier League Fans Still Banned

This season, seven Women’s Super League clubs—Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Everton, and the London City Lionesses—will allow fans to drink alcohol in their seats. No spirits smuggled in hidden flasks. No sprint-finished pints during half‑time. Just… sipping in your seat, watching the football. Like a normal person.

Why? Because, last season, a pilot in the second tier (now WSL2) let fans drink in view of the pitch. Over 50,000 people took part, 66 percent supported the policy, and there were zero reported incidents. No fights. No pitch invasions. In fact, match officials reported no change in fan behaviour whatsoever. The verdict? It passed muster—and now it’s expanding to the WSL’s biggest clubs.

That means the women’s game is being trusted with something men’s football still won’t offer. Since 1985, drinking alcohol in view of the pitch has been banned in men’s professional football in England and Wales, a relic of moral panic amid rampant hooliganism.

Whereas, in women’s football, it seems you don’t need flares, hate‑crime chants, or some 2,000 arrests a year to generate “passion”. You can have space for kids, decent food, and a glass of wine that doesn’t taste like it came from the darkest corner of a petrol-station stock room. All while supporting great football.

Record growth only sharpens the point. WSL attendance hit 902,000 this season. Arsenal Women now average over 30,000 at Emirates Stadium. Last day derbies at Old Trafford and the Joie Stadium sold out. The audience is here, and so are the expectations.

Naturally, there’s a strong business consideration, too. Alcohol money already flows into women’s football. Asahi Super Dry, in particular, has made a major commercial move in both men’s and women’s football this month, signing a multi‑year global partnership with Arsenal and taking over as the club’s Official Beer Partner. Through the season, Asahi UK will have exclusive beer, ale, and cider pouring rights at Emirates Stadium, and the deal will likely land Arsenal £3-4 million ($4-5 million) per season, not just from the brand deal, but primarily from matchday pouring rights.

Manchester City operates under the same Asahi umbrella—official beer across its men’s and women’s sides, reinforcing a coordinated global licensing strategy. Financial details weren’t disclosed, but insiders point to a comparable deal range.

Meanwhile, Heineken, UEFA’s long-time Champions League sponsor (extended through 2027), has integrated the women’s game since 2021, covering the UEFA Women’s Champions League and Women’s EURO tournaments. While the exact spend for women’s football isn’t public, it’s clear Heineken views the investment as core to its broader European football strategy.

To reckon with these numbers: Arsenal’s sponsorship portfolio for women’s football (already funded in the low millions) now includes a pouring partner that expects to recoup sales. Markets like these don’t invest unless they see a return.

If giving fans a pint means more respect—and revenue—for and from the fans, then the WSL isn’t just pioneering, but outpacing the men’s game entirely.

Turns out you can grow a sport, please your sponsors, and treat fans like adults in football, after all. Raise a glass accordingly.