- Sports fans are being denied access to full strength beer
- Comes despite liquor licensing legislation that allows its sale
New South Wales sports fans are accusing stadiums of discrimination for refusing to sell full-size beer at events in Western Sydney, while supporters in the city’s affluent east face no such restrictions.
NRL venues have drawn battle lines between the eastern suburbs of the bourgeoisie and the working class of the west.
While football fans attending an NRL, rugby or A-League match at Allianz Stadium will have no trouble getting a stiff beer, it’s not the same at CommBank or Accor Stadium in Sydney’s west.
Despite the fact that both venues have liquor licenses that allow the sale of full-size beer, only spectators in the premises are allowed to purchase it.
It’s a situation that’s infuriating sports fans, with venues deciding whether they’re responsible enough to handle full-strength beer based on their zip code.
“You can get a full strength can of beer on the hill at Leichhardt, but only a medium strength beer in the world class Accor Stadium,” someone shouted on social media.
Footy fans at Allianz Stadium have access to full-size beer at bars around the venue (Photo: Roosters fans watching a match at the ground)
Western Sydney sports fans – like these supporters with Penrith star Nathan Cleary at a Panthers match – are only getting medium strength beer, despite liquor licenses allowing its sale
‘What a joke! Next time I go I’ll sneak in a bottle,” another posted.
“They won’t even let you keep the can to get the 10 cents back,” another added.
“Punters and fans in the West should not tolerate lower service than in the East,” he said.
“It’s time we stop treating Western Sydney customers differently.”
Justin Hemmes’ Merivale group owns the rights to beer sales at Allianz Stadium and the adjacent Sydney Cricket Ground, where fans can get full strength beer without any hassle.
VenuesLive had previously imposed restrictions on beer sales at the Accor and CommBank stadiums, but their contract with the NSW government was not renewed.
Labor Riverstone MP Warren Kirby has launched a campaign to end what he has described as east-west discrimination and has called on Venues NSW for change.
“That in itself is discriminatory, it tells people what they can drink based on zip code,” he said News Corp.
‘We are already treated differently in the West, we don’t have a metro beyond Parramatta, we pay a lot more tolls and now we can’t even choose what kind of beer we drink at the footy.
“It seems all they’re giving us these days are mosquitoes, thanks to Sydney Water.”
‘People in the West are just as responsible as people in the East and should be able to watch football while enjoying a full-strength beer.’
Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone also said the differences in beer service showed venue operators do not believe Western Sydney sports fans can drink responsibly.
“Sydney’s sports fans don’t want their night out diluted by nanny state rules; they want to enjoy the full experience,” he said.
“It’s time to stop treating people like children.”
David Borger, executive director of Business Western Sydney, joined the chorus, saying it was time to end ‘beer discrimination’.
“It’s time we end the divide between East and West – Western Sydneysiders deserve a full-fledged beer too, whether you’re in the corporate box or the stands,” he said.
‘It is scandalous that beer discrimination still exists.’