England fans WILL be able to buy normal strength beer for Slovakia clash, as UEFA and police perform U-turn on plan to serve low alcohol pints again
- Officials originally decided to repeat the restrictions with 2.8 per cent pints
- But after anger from the council and supporters, police and UEFA made a U-turn
- Listen to It’s all about to begin! EURO DAILY: All reasons why England fans should be positive going into the last 16
English fans WILL be served normal strength beer during the European Championship final match against Slovakia after local police and UEFA made a U-turn.
As Mail Sport reported, officials had decided to repeat the restrictions, with only low-alcohol pints, 2.8 percent, being offered at the stadium in Gelsenkirchen when the Three Lions played Serbia in their opening match.
This step caused anger among the city council and the supporters group the Football Supporters Association.
Both were privately convinced that English fans – who have received much praise in Germany for their behaviour – were being singled out and that the decision would cause more problems than it would solve, as supporters would be more likely to stay out of the stadium until the last minute.
The English fans would be subject to the drink restrictions before the U-turn
Supporters can drink normal beer again before the match against Slovakia
However, following further discussions it is understood that beer will now be served as normal, although there will be restrictions on the number of fans who can purchase and, unlike other matches, they will not be allowed to take beer back to their seats.
Gelsenkirchen city council, having noticed how well the England fans had behaved during the match against Serbia, had voted in favour of selling normal-strength beer, but UEFA and local police are said to have ignored this decision.
However, they continued to argue the point, along with the FSA. And as a result, a compromise has now been reached.
UEFA is expected to confirm the U-turn soon.
Meanwhile, six England fans have been banned after trouble ahead of the match against Serbia on June 16. Lewis Dodsworth, 29, of Fulwell Road in Sunderland, Jack Hatton, 27, of Fordfield Road, also in Sunderland, and Gary McIvor, 38, of Eden Crescent in Darlington, were each given five-year bans that prevent them from competing in national and English competitions. to attend international matches. Todd Hines, 21, of Maitland Road, Essex, Liam Jackson, 28, of Beech Street and Kyran Alcock, 28, of Martindale Avenue in Sunderland, were each given three-year bans.
Mick Johnson, head of UK Football Policing, said: “This swift action by police forces and courts across the UK shows there are consequences for supporters who cause disorder at matches, whether they are in the UK or abroad.
‘Thanks to the cooperation between the British and German police, the public prosecutor’s office and the courts, these supporters are now unable to attend matches in the UK or follow England for the duration of their suspension.
‘It is important to stress that the vast majority of English fans in Germany are extremely well behaved, and those involved in any disorder are a small minority. This has been the case at all English matches to date.’