- Sport fans are being denied access to full strength beer
- Comes despite liquor licensing laws that allow for its sale
New South Wales sport fans are accusing stadiums of discrimination because they refuse to sell full-strength beer at events in Western Sydney while supporters in the city’s affluent east face no such restrictions.
NRL venues have drawn battle lines between the bourgeoisie eastern suburbs and the working class of the west.
While footy fans taking in an NRL, rugby or A-League match at Allianz Stadium will have no problems getting a full-strength beer, it is not the same at CommBank or Accor Stadium in Sydney’s west.
Despite the fact both venues have liquor licences that allow for the sale of full-strength beer, only spectators in the corporate areas are allowed to buy it.
It is a situation that has sport fans fuming, with venues deciding on whether they are responsible enough to handle full-strength beer based on their postcode.
‘You can get a full strength can of beer on the hill at Leichhardt but only a mid-strength beer at the ‘world class’ Accor stadium,’ one fumed on social media.
Victorian sports fans enjoy the most freedom when it comes to beverages, with full-strength beer and spirits available at bars in the MCG, Marvel Stadium, and Kardinia Park in Geelong.
However, some bars may switch to mid-strength options if the match concludes after 6 pm.
In Queensland, most sporting venues predominantly serve mid-strength beer.
A few boutique bars, such as the Emerald Bar at Suncorp Stadium and specialty outlets at the Gabba, offer full-strength and craft beers, but these areas are generally reserved for members.
Optus Stadium in Western Australia serves only mid-strength beer, except in corporate boxes. This policy aligns with other WA venues, including the WACA and Domain Stadium.
In South Australia, fans at Adelaide Oval can easily enjoy full-strength beer, with no restrictions on availability.
‘What a joke! Next time I go, ill be sneaking in a flask,’ another posted.
‘They don’t even let you keep the can to get the 10c back,’ added another.
‘Punters and fans in the west shouldn’t have to tolerate a lower service than in the East,’ he said.
‘It is time we stopped treating Western Sydney patrons differently.’
Justin Hemmes’ Merivale group holds the rights for beer sales at Allianz Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground next door, where fans can get full-strength beer without a hassle.
VenuesLive had previously placed the restrictions on beer sales at Accor and CommBank Stadiums, but their contract with the NSW Government was not renewed.
Labor Riverstone MP Warren Kirby has launched a campaign to end what he has described as east/west discrimination and has called on Venues NSW for change.
‘That on its own is discriminatory, it is telling people based on postcode what they can drink,’ he told News Corp.
‘We’re already treated differently in the West, we don’t have a Metro past Parramatta, we pay way more tolls and now we can ‘t even have a choice of what type of beers we drink at the footy.
‘It seems the only thing they give us these days are mosquitoes courtesy of Sydney Water.’
‘People in the West are just as responsible as people in the East and should be able to watch football while enjoying a full strength beer.’
Fairfield mayor Frank Carbone also said the beer service differences showed that venue operators don’t believe western Sydney sport fans can be trusted to drink responsibly.
‘Sydney’s sports fans don’t want their night out watered down by nanny-state rules – they want to enjoy the full experience,’ he said.
‘It’s time to stop treating people like children.’
Business Western Sydney executive director David Borger added to the chorus, saying it was time for the ‘beer discrimination’ to end.
‘It’s time we end the East/West divide – Western Sydneysiders deserve a full strength beer too whether you’re in the corporate box or the bleachers,’ he said.
‘It’s outrageous that beer discrimination still exists.’
