The results of our supporters survey to gather views about drinking in view of the pitch at men’s football games have now been compiled & shared with the football club & the press
The survey was published on Friday 25th September 2026 and closed three days later on Monday 28th September. The link to the survey was sent by e-mail to 12,786 City supporters and also shared on social media & via the OTIB fan forum.
By the time the survey closed, it had received responses from 2,747 fans. Of those, more than two thirds (1,830) were season ticket holders.
The headline result from the survey was that just over half of City fans (53%) said they wanted the blanket ban on drinking alcohol in view of the pitch to be retained.
Despite that general view, an exception was made for hospitality areas, with a very big majority (85%) being in favour of removing the requirement for curtains to be drawn across pitch-facing windows of boxes and lounges during a game, and 58% being in favour of the users of boxes and lounges being able to take their drinks to their seat.
When it came to general admission seating, however, a majority of fans in all home areas did not want drinking allowed in their block (Dolman Stand 63%, South Stand 59%, Lansdown Upper 63%, Lansdown Lower 67%).
Across all stands, there was nevertheless a sizeable minority of fans (38%) who said that they would like it allowed in their block. For a crowd of, say, 20,000 that translates as 7,600 fans wanting the drinking of alcohol to be allowed in their part of the ground.
Of those 7,600, 29% said that if drinking was not allowed in their current block, they would aim to move to a block where it was. That would suggest that c. 2,200 fans out of 20,000 might be willing to move and congregate together in a ‘Drinking Allowed’ block.
Across age groups, the strongest opposition to lifting the ban comes from older fans, with 62% of those aged 65+ not wanting it lifted. Greatest support for a lifting of the ban comes from the 21-40 age group, with 57% wanting drinking in the stands allowed.
The male/female comparison was fairly equal, with 65% of women not wanting drinking allowed in their block, compared to 62% of men.
Supporters Club & Trust chair Stu Rogers said: “While as a board we agree that the blanket ban is outdated and discriminatory, the results of our survey make it very clear that if the ban is lifted at some future date, the club should take fully into account the wishes of the majority of fans who have concerns about how the drinking of alcohol in view of the pitch during games at Ashton Gate might affect them.”