British Government Takes a Stand on Soccer Violence

The British government decided Monday to fight widespread and growing soccer violence in England and Wales by banning the sale of alcohol at troublesome stadiums.

Alcohol already is prohibited in the soccer grounds in Scotland, and drunken fans are not allowed in.

The decision Monday was pushed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Home Secretary Leon Brittan after a 90-minute meeting at No. 10 Downing Street with officials of the Football Assn., which regulates the game.

In recent weeks, soccer fans have swamped the playing field, attacking players, and have run riot in streets outside stadiums after games, destroying property and brawling.

Team supporters also have torn apart the special trains that take them from one end of Britain to the other for the twice-weekly matches.

Some European cities have barred British teams because of the violent history of visiting soccer crowds.

The violence is also blamed for falling attendance in many of the stadiums in Britain because middle-age and middle-class supporters do not want to attend games that often end in brawls between young fans of the opposing teams.

The ban against drinking would not be a blanket one, Home Secretary Brittan said, but would apply only to particular trouble spots.

The prohibition, however, would also cover the trains and buses carrying supporters, and fans who appear to be drunk or are carrying alcohol would be barred from the stadiums.

The government also ordered the stadiums to install higher and stronger fences around the playing fields to keep fans from spilling out onto the fields, and advised that closed-circuit television be installed to allow police to keep a better eye on potential troublemakers.

In addition, the Football Assn. was told to investigate whether membership cards should be a condition of admission and also to look into whether admission should be restricted to pre-sold tickets for games where trouble is to be expected.

Supporters who arrived at the last minute and bought tickets at the gate have been accused of provoking the most trouble once inside the stadiums or after the match in the surrounding streets.

Partly as a result of the Prime Minster’s urging, the Football Assn. was ordered to extend the use of family enclosures.