Dear ALS... The pre-match pint has become a ritual almost more enjoyable than the game itself. With tongues loosened by drink and hopeful prospects on the horizon, camaraderie flows and our sense of tribalism sharpens. But there comes a tipping point when this key ingredient of the match day experience morphs into an all-day drinking session, which rarely ends well.
Talking to a group of Mackems at a London away game not long ago, I asked what time they had left Sunderland: “ten to seven”, they replied. Asking what time they had started drinking, there was a pause as they took in my apparently idiotic question, “ten to seven” came the deadpan reply. Before the 90 minutes were up, two of this group had been ejected for foul and abusive behaviour, while another missed most of the game slumped semi-conscious in his seat.
Following Sunderland is not for the faint-hearted and the pressurised environment of high expectations but low achievement mean tempers quickly flare. Add into the mix an intoxicated, noisy minority and the atmosphere at games can soon turn ugly. Of course this is not unique to Sunderland but symptomatic of a wider national problem, as the drink-fuelled carnage in Leicester Square before the Euro 2020 final demonstrated.
More troubling, reports of domestic abuse surge after football matches with studies coming to the inescapable conclusion that alcohol is a key player in the relationship between sport and abuse. Often overshadowed by drug misuse statistics, our dependence on alcohol hit sobering heights last year, with a record 7,400 alcohol related deaths.
Recent protests against discrimination have shown the football world can exert much influence when galvanised into action. Raising awareness about alcohol abuse might kick off a much needed national conversation on the subject and lead to safer, happier experiences on and off the terraces.
