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SPFL to sell alcohol at upcoming Premier Sports Cup matches

SPFL to sell alcohol at upcoming Premier Sports Cup matches

The National2 days ago
The Championship club has confirmed they have been granted and alcohol licence for two upcoming games - against Arbroath and Forfar.
A pop-up bar will be in use inside Somerset Park when both Angus clubs come to town, on July 19 and three days later on July 22.
South Ayrshire Council granted the licence and it will be the first time punters have been able to buy alcohol at a Scottish football game since 1981, after it was outlawed due to trouble at the Scottish Cup final.
A maximum of 66 supporters, who must be 18, will be able to pay £35 for a ticket and have access to the bar. They will be allowed up to four pints for Birra Moretti before the match and another at half-time.
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The club said on social media: "Ayr United is delighted to be taking part in a Scottish Football project and can announce details for its matchday pop-up bar inside Somerset Park for the Premier Sports Cup matches against Arbroath and Forfar!"
They add that they hope this pilot "will add to the enjoyment of the matchday experience for supporters' and 'will provide the SPFL and local stakeholders with comfort in the club's ability to sell alcohol safely within the stadium."
This year, Police Scotland insisted it was "open to discussions" around looking into changing the laws around alcohol at football. However, the Scottish Government poured cold water on any hopes.
First Minister John Swinney said: 'I understand the aspiration amongst football clubs and some football interests to take forward measures to address the ban on alcohol in football stadiums.
"I'm not sympathetic to that. I understand where they're coming from, but I am not sympathetic to that.
'I think we've got a set of arrangements in place just now that work, that are appropriate, that are necessary, and I think we should stick with them.'
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