Push to end cricket’s full-strength beer ban

If you want a full-strength beer at cricket Tests or ODI matches, you’ll need to wait years to become an SCG member. There are now calls for that to change.

Exclusive: The Minns government is being urged to end an “un-Australian” double standard forcing the general public to drink mid-strength beer during Tests and One Day International matches, while leaving the well-heeled elite free to imbibe full-strength beverages.

Cricket-loving politicians, fans, and former stars of the game have united in a call to end blatant booze discrimination almost 20 years after punters were banned from buying full-strength beers during full-day events at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The push comes a month after Sports Minister Steve Kamper launched a trial to bring full-strength beer to Western Sydney stadiums.

While everyday punters can buy full-strength beer at the SCG during shorter events, full-strength beer is banned in public areas during ODI and Test matches

The Members Pavilion and corporate boxes are exempt from the bans.

Cricket fans at the SCG on the first day of the recent Sydney Test. Picture: Tom Parrish

Former Venues NSW chairman Tony Shepherd said the SCG trust had “no choice” but to impose the beer bans on Tests in 2006 on the request of police due to some “extremely bad drunken behaviour”.

But there are now calls for the restrictions to be overhauled, with Labor MP Warren Kirby, who succeeded in ending the full-strength beer ban in Sydney’s west, saying it was a matter of fairness.

Premier Chris Minns Sports Minister Steve Kamper. Picture: NewsWire/Monique Harmer

“It’s not about promoting people getting drunk or getting crazy on the beers, it’s just about parity, or fairness,” he said.

“I’m not a fan of double standards … I don’t think it’s realistic to say members are more responsible than the general public.”

Liberal MP Chris Rath, who has been calling for an end to strict policing of beer snakes during cricket games, said: “We shouldn’t let the nanny state get in the way of a fun day out.”

“The current approach treats the majority of cricket fans as second class citizens. Nobody likes a mid-strength beer. It’s un-Australian,” he said.

Cricket legend Doug Walters has supported calls for a return to full-strength beer in general admission areas. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Former premier Morris Iemma said the rules should be looked at: “If members can drink full strength beer, why not the punters? A lot has changed in 20 years.”

Test legend Doug Walters, whose public popularity saw an open air grandstand named after him on the old SCG hill, supported calls for a return to full-strength beer in general admission areas.

“It’s a different time now (to when they put the ban on). I remember there used to be these 8-10 guys who would come to the cricket – two of them carrying a bathtub, two carrying ice and the rest of them with cartons on each shoulder,” he said.

“They’d sit on the hill and have a great time. Well, the hill is gone now and these days you’ve got barmen trained in RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) who serve people and regulate how many beers they can have. So it’s not like it used to be.”

Members of the “Pink Flippers” fan club unanimously called for full-strength beer to return to general admission stands, with one saying: “The Flippers give strength (to our cricketers) in numbers and we want strength in beer.”

Mr Kamper directed questions to Venues NSW, which said full-strength beer had recently returned to T20 matches in a “staged fashion”, with no increase to anti-social behaviour.

“Given the longer format of Test and One-Day International cricket, Cricket Australia, NSW Police and Liquor and Gaming are not supportive of serving full-strength beer in all areas of the venue at all times,” a spokesman said.

“Our approach is focused on creating a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone at the venue.”

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Originally published as Push to end cricket’s full-strength beer ban