Football fans can drink alcohol in seats during Scotland’s World-Cup play-off

Football fans will be able to drink alcohol in the stands in Scotland for the first time in more than four decades at Tuesday’s Women’s World Cup play-off.

Renfrewshire Council has granted a licence for the controlled sale of alcohol at the second leg of Scotland’s encounter with Czechia at St Mirren’s Marbill Coaches Stadium in Paisley.

Major restrictions on alcohol sales were introduced after Rangers and Celtic fans clashed on the Hampden pitch after the 1980 Scottish Cup final.

There have been controlled experiments of alcohol sales on stadium concourses at several domestic games and at men’s internationals at Hampden since the start of last season.

But Tuesday will be the first time fans will be able to drink outside in view of the pitch in 46 years.

The Scottish Football Association revealed draught beer and bottles would be on sale at kiosks in the West and East stands – from 90 minutes before kick-off until the hour mark of the game – and can be consumed at seats. The North and South stands have been designated as alcohol-free areas.

An SFA statement read: “Unlike men’s football in the UK, the women’s professional game is not covered by legislation which prohibits the consumption of alcohol in view of the pitch.

“This is another significant step forward in the ongoing piloting of controlled alcohol consumption inside stadia.

“These sales will be managed in full accordance with licensing regulations, with appropriate security and stewarding measures in place. The aim of the initiative is to explore how a managed approach to alcohol sales can contribute to a positive and safe matchday experience.”

Scotland are 2-0 up after the first leg and on course to set up a play-off final in December, all but certainly against Sweden, who are 5-0 up on Lithuania after their first leg.

Tickets are still available and head coach Melissa Andreatta has urged Scotland fans to fill the ground for her players.

She said: “They just love playing in front of fans and friends and family and why wouldn’t you want to be here?

“Come down. You don’t want to be hearing about it at work on Wednesday morning. Be here and experience it because they’re a special group and they just want to make you proud and are the best representatives of Scotland.

“It definitely gives you that extra lift, being at home in front of people that have given you everything, you find even more.

“When you think you’re exhausted, you can’t put in that extra last sprint, you just find another way. You find more. At this level that is special and means a lot.

“I know that extra support in the stands is going to give them that extra punch that they need to go to another level and turn the screws in this performance and in this game to get the result that we want.”