Fans watch Salford’s 2-0 defeat to Chesterfield in a crane ‘as part of a unique protest’ organised by Fireball Whisky.
Two Salford City fans, joined by social creators Tom Garratt and Tom Nestor, watching the League Two fixture from a 50-metre crane, having a drink of the beverage.
This was to mark the 40th anniversary of English football’s 1985 alcohol ban, claiming to be the first legal instance of fans consuming alcohol while watching a live English Football League match in four decades.
As per talkSPORT‘s report, the fans were unaware of the full details until matchday, before then experiencing watching the game from a four-seater pod high up in the sky overlooking the stadium, with a shots table and Fireball’s dragon mascot, amid calls to review the alcohol ban.
I’m at Chesterfield watching Salford for @BBCRMsport, and it would seem if you couldn’t get a ticket then listening to me on the radio has now fallen behind hiring a crane and hoisting to a great height is a better way to catch the action!! pic.twitter.com/XbywRMmOv3
— Anthony Wareing (@AnthonyWareing) October 11, 2025
I’ve seen it all now 🤷🏻♂️#Spireites | #ChesterfieldFC pic.twitter.com/sWAOC2LBJN
— SpireitesWrite (@Spireiteswrite) October 11, 2025
“Football fans deserve fun,” said Fireball spokesperson Lorenzo Farronato.
“The rules say no alcohol in view of the pitch – so we gave fans a better view alongside the best drink.
“The Hottest Seat in Football soared 50 metres high and delivered 90 minutes of pure mischief.”
Football influencer Tom Garratt said: “The Hottest Seat isn’t just a stunt, it’s a reminder that football can be fun, inclusive and a bit rebellious.
“Fans shouldn’t feel like they’re just there to watch; they should feel part of something bigger – part of a community, a culture, and a day to remember.”
In May 2025, Labour MP for York Outer Luke Charters said: “It’s 40 years ago since alcohol was banned in view of the pitch – perhaps it’s time for a modern approach to a modern game. The days of hooliganism are gone.
“Whilst fans of other sports can drink in the stands, football fans can’t.
“You can sit with a beer and watch the Bundesliga — so why can’t you have a pint while watching the Prem?
“Limited trials of designated drinking zones in the view of the pitch could be an interesting idea.
“As a dad, I think it’s right that some parts of the ground should probably stay booze-free.
“For me, we should always keep family areas free of this but let’s give fans who want to drink in the stands the chance to do so responsibly, or at least let’s have a common-sense conversation about this as a country about what we can do to make the matchday experience better — and back our great local breweries in the process.”
The Football Supporters Association (FSA) backed what the MP had to say, commenting “absolutely” and would welcome trials in the men’s game.
The FSA added: “In the past, this is actually something many clubs have called for too.”
A spokesperson said: “In the past this is actually something many clubs have called for too.”
A pilot program allowing alcohol consumption in the stands at women’s football matches was initially tested at four Women’s Championship (now Women’s Super League 2) clubs in the 2024-25 season, will expand to 14 clubs across the Women’s Super League (WSL) and WSL2 for the 2025-26 season.
Following positive feedback, with 66% of surveyed supporters approving (48% strongly), and reports of an improved matchday experience, seven clubs have joined the second phase of the trial for the full 2025-26 season.
Holly Murdoch, chief operating officer for WSL Football, said: “Expanding this trial for the new campaign, encompassing our WSL teams and additional WSL2 clubs too, is part of our strategy to offer a best-in-class experience for our fans attending matches.
“Exploring giving supporters the choice to drink alcohol in the stands was something we were excited to trial and following such positive feedback from the proof-of-concept version, we’re looking forward to opening it up to more venues and equally, hearing from those at the heart of it – our clubs and supporters.”
During last season’s pilot, there were no reported safety incidents, with 84% of fans surveyed rating their sense of safety between nine and ten out of ten, while over three-quarters of supporters also indicated that they would be likely to recommend games to friends and family.
The game itself saw Chesterfield secured a 2-0 victory over Salford City, reclaiming a place in the playoff zone.
Ollie Turton scored an own goal in the 62nd minute from a Liam Mandeville corner, and Ronan Darcy sealed the win with a close-range strike after a James Berry cross.
Salford nearly got themselves an equaliser, but Zach Hemming’s crucial save preserved Chesterfield’s lead.
Chesterfield’s Danny Webb said, per Derbyshire Times: “Great performance, even better result. This time last week there were a lot of depressed Spireites on that team bus. You can’t underestimate the importance of that game Tuesday (1-0 win against Burton Albion in EFL Trophy) just to give lads a bit of game-time and it just gets that Colchester game out of your system a little bit.
“Everyone was on the floor on Sunday morning and Monday morning – it was tough. But clean sheet Tuesday, clean sheet today, it was a really solid professional performance. It was not a week of slamming the players, that comes from the experience of the manager, actually they needed a bit of love, we got an arm around them, we encouraged them, got the enthusiasm going again. It just shows a week is a long time in football but now we have got to back that up against Fleetwood.”
“It looked like a terrible tackle & we were mystified”: Danny Webb’s verdict to me for talkSPORT on Tom Naylor’s bizarre yellow card, having been the one on the end of it.#ChesterfieldFC https://t.co/4epxhIr7Ws
— Alan Biggs (@AlanBiggs1) October 11, 2025
