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Saturday, January 24, 2026

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Fan Choice pilot surpasses a century

This weekend will see WSL Football’s Fan Choice pilot – where supporters have the option to consume alcohol in the stands at games - surpass 100 fixtures since the start of the current season.      

In addition to no reported incidents or ejections related to the pilot, a recent survey has gleaned overwhelmingly positive feedback from supporters, with the average score for feeling of safety amongst attendees sitting at 9.4 out of 10.

There has been an increase of support for the pilot from those who have experienced Fan Choice fixtures – with 70% now in favour, up from 58% in last summer’s baseline survey, while there has been a reduction in opposition, from 18% down to 11%.

Additionally, there has been no impact on the feeling of women’s games offering a family friendly environment, with the average score remaining at 9.1 out of 10, while the average score for sense of atmosphere has increased to 8.6 out of 10, up from 8.4.

Clubs have also been encouraged to introduce alcohol-free blocks at their stadiums, providing supporters with the choice to purchase tickets in these areas.

As a result of the early success and fan feedback, three more clubs in Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City and Nottingham Forest will now join the pilot for the remainder of the 2025-26 season, bringing the total number to 18 clubs and 26 stadiums across both divisions.  

Participating clubs and venues are as follows:

                                     

Barclays Women’s Super League

Arsenal (Emirates Stadium)

Aston Villa (Villa Park)

Chelsea (Kingsmeadow & Stamford Bridge)

Everton (Goodison Park & Hill Dickinson Stadium)

Leicester City (King Power Stadium)

Liverpool (St Helens & Anfield)

London City Lionesses (Copperjax Community Stadium)

Manchester City (Joie Stadium & Etihad Stadium)

Manchester United (Progress with Unity Stadium & Old Trafford)

Tottenham Hotspur (BetWright Stadium & Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)

Barclays Women’s Super League 2

Birmingham City (St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park)

Bristol City (Ashton Gate)

Crystal Palace (VBS Community Stadium)

Newcastle United (Gateshead International Stadium & St James’ Park)

Nottingham Forest (City Ground)

Sheffield United (Bramall Lane)

Sunderland (Stadium of Light & Eppleton Colliery Football Ground)

Southampton (St Mary’s Stadium)

Unlike men’s football in the UK, the women’s professional game is not covered by legislation in the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc.) Act 1985 (SECAA 1985) which prohibits the consumption of alcohol in view of the pitch.

The current pilot follows an initial trial across four Barclays WSL2 clubs – Birmingham City, Bristol City, Newcastle United and Southampton – during the second half of the 2024-25 campaign.

Additionally, for the first time, the Subway® Women’s League Cup Final at Ashton Gate Stadium on Sunday 15th March will offer supporters the option to drink in the stands.

Speaking on the pilot’s success so far, Head of Infrastructure, Safety and Sustainability for WSL Football – Hannah Buckley – said: “We have been trusted by our clubs and fans to take the leap with piloting Fan Choice, and it’s so pleasing to see such positive feedback in the first half of the season.

“As a league, when it comes to having a different approach to the norm, we are not scared to test and learn, and the pilot so far has shown the value in doing that.

“Fan Choice has also seen some fantastic innovation from our clubs, and we’re thrilled that three more have joined for the second half of the campaign.

“We will continue to work with our clubs over the coming months and look forward to seeing how the pilot develops over the rest of the season.”