This would be a start, but from my own experience I have never seen this enforced, be it at a match, my local or bars in town. Town would be half empty of a weekend if it was enforced and I'm sure many of my own nights out would have ended earlier.

Personally I don't know what I would like to see happen. My friends and I usually have a couple before, during and after the game but I could happily go without for a few hours if it was to cut down on the moronic and thuggish behaviour of a small minority. If alcohol sales were banned, these people would still get tanked up before the game and continue afterwards.

Maybe better stewarding and an increased police presence is the only way forward.

How do we define drunk? I have seen teenagers throwing up after 2 drinks,and I have also been in a car with someone who gave me a lift home,then as he dropped me off admitted he had just finished his 8th pint of beer in the pub before giving me a lift! His driving and ability to hold a conversation had been fine. So what exactly is "drunk"?????????

Surely thats half of the problem as to why the law isn't/can't be properly implemented. Everyone has different tolerance levels for alcohol and bar staff will have different interpretations of what is "drunk". Unless everywhere serving alcohol introduces breath tests it will always come down to interpretation.

BUT that law should be used when people are at the stage where they aren't coherent or they are believed to pose a threat to others because of the state they are in. Even with something as subjective as drunkness it does get to a point where it is blindingly obvious.

Do the stewards have any professional training. such as: -

- how to recognise when somebody has had a few too many

- how to spot the early signs of crowd trouble in a terraced environment

- how to deal with any potential trouble before it occurs in a professional and efficient manner

- how to deal with trouble if it escalates ( self defence techniques)

I know for a fact they didnt at wilderspool, one of my relatives applied for the job and got told to turn up before the game and to not watch the game but watch the crowd with no training on what to look for or how to deal with aggressive behaviour or intoxicated idiots.

Everybody calls the stewards for the heavy handedness and inability to deal with issues properly.

maybe they aren't trained and are just trying to do the best they can with what they've got. I'm not sure

Fair enough, it was just something that i was wondering.

Does SIA training involve big crowd situations such as on the terraces?

Thanks for clearing that up though

I've been watching for years & never once had a beer during the games. Never missed it & it's no problem.

Let's try the Hudds approach & have no speccies at the games .. All problems resolved instantly.

to do that you'd have to pay them more most stewards are on peanuts!

I normally have a pint or two beforehand. Then possibly a few more after to celebrate. Never once have I caused trouble. It all comes down to knowing your limits.

Ha ha Nice one buddy

Of course - many of the doctrines of my religion are outdated & I fully appreciate that they do not fit in the modern world, I'm intelligent enough & know my own mind well enough to be able to form my own opinions while still living within the overlying responsibilities of my faith. I have also stated on a thread recently why I believe it takes so long for change in established religions and why they appear to be so far behind the times in a rapidly changing world. All in the public domain so no problem admitting to it. Why do you see the point in attacking my beliefs as a basis for my opinions on this matter? They are not related at all!

Anyway back on topic - a lot of the stewards on Sunday were drafted in from the MEN Arena. They are there to do their job with additional security who are meant to offer protection. One female steward in particular was verbally abused by a drunk fan who wanted to go out for a smoke, and a member of the security team who witnessed it did nothing to protect her or back her up. Her comment was that in the MEN that fan would have been sat on his arris on the arena steps within 30 seconds of his actions. Why should she put her full efforts into a situation then knowing that she will not recieve help or back up from those who are meant to provide it?