The aggression level of fans at sporting events is not associated with the consumption of beer. This opinion in an interview with RT expressed by the President of Club of fans of the Russian team Edward Latypov. According to him, the experience of the FIFA world Cup 2018 showed that proper organization of competitions and entertainment programmes can mitigate risks. Famous trainers Evgeny Bushmanov and Sergey Silkin support the initiative to legalize selling the drink and believe it can attract some spectators. And the former defender of “Zenit” Alexei Igonin has admitted that working on a legislative initiative, regulating the rate of alcohol in the blood of the visitors of mass events.
- Fans of the Russian team before the match 1/8 finals of the 2018 world Cup between the national teams of Spain and Russia
- © Eugene Novozenina/RIA Novosti
In mid-December 2019, the Russian state Duma in the first reading adopted the draft law on the lifting of the ban on the retail sale of beer at football matches. Now the authors of a member of the Committee for physical culture, sport, tourism and youth Affairs Dmitry Svishchev and the parliamentarian Igor Lebedev, would like to propose a number of amendments to the document.
One of them will affect the proceeds initiators of the bill proposes to give the proceeds exclusively on the development of youth sport. According to another, the drink can be sold on all sports, with the exception of children and youth. It was decided to limit the sale of beer and beer beverages with ethanol content of more than 5%.
One of the first initiative for the legalization of beer in the stands was supported by the famous figure skating coach Alexey Mishin. He noted that sales of the drink with the big share of probability will help to attract the attention of sponsors.
“I welcome the emergence of beer at a football game. For clubs it is an opportunity to make money on advertisers, and for people — a way to get more pleasure from going and watching match in the stadium. So I’m in. Good stadiums after the world Cup in Russia we have left, and when they are in 2018, sold beer, it was just a plus”, — quotes Mishina “Match TV”.
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The former coach of the youth national team of Russia on football Evgenie Bushmanov has commented positively about the amendments to the bill. According to experts, alcoholic beverage must be sold in the arena, regardless of the sport.
“In my opinion, the permission to sell beer in the stadium — right initiative, and throughout the world there is such practice. So it would be logical to legalize sales to compete in all sports, not just football. This would be true: either everywhere or nowhere” — said Bushmanov in an interview with RT.
In turn, the former coach of Moscow “Dynamo” Sergey Silkin believes that drinking light alcohol in General will not affect the behavior of fans during matches.
“Abroad in the stadiums sell alcohol everywhere, and nothing wrong with that. After all, much depends on the person — someone few drinks, and someone can’t stop. In any case, the issue of security in the stands should not be resolved through a ban on the sale of beer. You just need to learn to work with the fans and troublemakers to detect with the cameras and prosecute,” — said Silkin.
The expert is sure that the legalization of the drink, on the contrary, will cause some to reach out to the stadiums and will help to increase attendance.
“We need to do everything to attract people to the stands. It is clear that the fans want to have a good time at the stadium. Maybe it’s not the best way of attracting viewers, but one of the possible variants,” — said Silkin.
The right coach has called the proposal to send the proceeds from sales, to development of youth sport.
“Any extra money will not hurt. Children’s sport is very lacking financial support”, — concluded the expert.
The opinion Silkin agreed and the former midfielder St. Petersburg “Zenith” Alexey Igonin. According to him, the bill will help the Russian sports to become less dependent on state aid.
“Russian sport will have an additional source of income. Because sport and he needs to earn, not only to obtain subsidies from the state,” said Igonin.
He also spoke about his own initiative, which plans to make Gosdumu of the legislative Assembly of the Leningrad region.
“We, together with Zenit want to propose amendments to the administrative code. Their essence is that for fans will be set a norm of alcohol in blood by analogy with the norm for drivers in ppm. Now the representatives of law and order just appreciate the drunken fan or not, but if so for motorists the law is there, why not develop it for sports and other mass events? If he already existed, many arrests and fines that occurred after a recent match “Zenit” — “Spartacus”, perhaps, could have been avoided,” explained Igonin.
The expert stressed that he did not see the link between the use of fans of beer and unrest in the stands.
“Of course, there is always the fear that the stands will start a conflict, only the sale of beer nothing to do with it. Besides the days when we fans were drinking a lot, in my opinion, already tested. I see it because I talk to fans and go on the road. But before home matches of “Zenith”, for example, the meaning of “warm up” no, because arena has a roof, it’s warm”, he added.
The President of Club of fans of the Russian team Russia Unites Eduard Latypov also sure that the legalization of beer will help get rid of the known traditions of the fans “warm up” before the match.
“If the drink is quality and at an affordable price, for those who like to watch football in a light “shofe”, drinking alcohol before going to the stadium will lose its meaning,” — said Latypov RT.
In his view, inappropriate behavior, and feared by ordinary spectators, has nothing to do with the consumption of beer.
“Our experience has shown that the level of aggression at sporting events or in the fan zones is not dependent upon alcoholic beer. It was confirmed the fan zone of the 2018 world Cup, where it was sold. When we organized the fan zone in the centre of Saint-Petersburg the world championship on hockey, it was there too, and for the whole period of operation there were no offences associated with intoxication,” he added.
According to the President of the booster Club, the key issue in ensuring security in the stands is not a ban on alcohol, and the competent organization of the competitions and entertainment programs for which you are responsible the appropriate services.