Ahead of their Round of 16 clash with Slovakia at the European Championships, UEFA has reversed a controversial decision and allowed English fans to buy full-strength beer under certain conditions.
The England vs. Slovakia match will be held in Gelsenkirchen, the same venue where England played their group stage opener against Serbia. Previously, due to reports suggesting that around 500 Serbian extremists might take extreme actions against English fans, UEFA and local police had escalated the security risk for the game from “high” to “very high.” This led to several measures, including the sale of only 2.8% ABV beer for the match instead of the usual 4.5% ABV beer.
When Gelsenkirchen was chosen to host England again, UEFA and German police initially planned to continue the beer-strength ban. This angered local council members and fan groups alike. Gelsenkirchen’s city council, noting the well-behaved behavior of England supporters during the Serbia match, voted to support the sale of regular-strength beer. After UEFA and local police rejected this, UK-based fan organizations intervened in discussions with authorities. This led UEFA to agree to a compromise: full-strength beer would be available, but with conditions.
Following further negotiations, authorities and fan groups reached an agreement: regular beer will be available for English fans, but there will be limits on the quantity that can be purchased, and unlike other games, fans will not be allowed to bring beer to their seats inside the stadium.
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