Changing the game: Being an alcohol-free footie fan

At first going to Old Trafford without a drink felt weird, made even weirder by the fact Sir Alex Ferguson was no longer in the dugout and my team no longer won every week, but once that strange feeling subsided it became the norm and before long become something I embraced rather than endured.

Whether it’s taking my kids to their first United matches, driving to Wembley and not having to spend even more money staying over so I can get hammered, or just being present for the game, being sober has increased my enjoyment of being a fan in so many different ways. One of the reasons it’s become second nature isn’t just due to my own desire to stay sober, but also how football fan culture itself has changed.

Looking at the games themselves you’ll see far more younger fans in the crowds, presumably fuelled by youth and maybe sweets rather than beer and drugs – least I’d certainly hope so! Then there’s the actual match, the best player on the pitch receives a player of the match trophy rather than a bottle of champagne as even the players themselves have shifted away from the drinking culture that was once part and parcel of the beautiful game. Many of the Premier League’s leading players are practicing Muslims, so a bottle of champagne would be completely useless to them and let’s not pretend an alcohol-free version would be anything other than baffling.

For many people the shift to a drink-free approach to following the game may seem daunting and dare I say, even impossible but as someone who spent many years in a drink-fuelled stupor following my team all over the world, I can honestly say sobriety isn’t a four-letter word. The trophies may have dried up somewhat for United, if you pardon the obvious pun, but my enjoyment of going to the game or even watching it at home or with mates has done nothing but increase. I’m there for the goals, I can see them, remember them, enjoy them. Yes, I experience the losses too but I’m able to deal with them without the added stress of waking up with a hangover, or a decimated bank balance, or 37 missed calls from worried family members.

Taking my kids to the game and celebrating with them, being able to speak with clarity when asked what’s just happened and remembering the good times is a facet of football fandom I wouldn’t swap for anything, certainly not for the dramas that often come with drinking.

If you’re trying to watch the match without alcohol and struggling, my advice would be to do the little things first, maybe watch it to start with around someone who isn’t drinking, trust me you won’t be short of people who don’t. The amount of fans who watch the match now without a drink is rapidly increasing and you can always watch it with those who are once you feel comfortable and confident enough to do so.

Whether it’s taking my kids to the game, watching it with the lads who’ve had a beer or just sitting at home with my better half,(who thankfully is also a Red) I’m able to have a truly happy alcohol-free time watching the game we all love.

Well, true happiness often depends on the result but if someone asked me about the good times supporting United, I’d struggle to remember when we were winning titles, the best memories I’ve made have been the drink-free ones, despite the results and I definitely didn’t see that coming.