FA Awarding Alcohol-Free Champagne to Cup Winners
The Football Association will stop awarding a case of champagne to the winners of the FA cup, and the replace it with an alcohol-free champagne. The Association has taken this decision to make Football more inclusive to people living free from alcohol.
English football’s governing body have a tradition of placing a case of champagne in the winning dressing room on cup final day to congratulate the winners. The FA will be abandoning this tradition in order to make football more inclusive.
There are many football players who abstain from alcohol for different reasons. One reason is faith. Players of Muslim faith abstain while other faiths also recommend not consuming alcohol. There are also players who have chosen to live an alcohol free life and others who are below the legal age for alcohol use.
A common scene is jubilant players spraying champagne after winning the cup. However such scenes exclude the views of people living free from alcohol. Therefore, the FA will be placing an alcohol-free champagne substitute so that the abstainers can also join in the festivities.
Winning teams will be awarded with non-alcoholic ‘champagne’ for their celebrations in all FA competitions, starting from this year’s Emirates FA Cup Final.
This is to ensure that we are as inclusive as possible to players and communities who may [not with to use] alcohol, as well as any players who are under 18,” said FA spokesperson, as per Daily Mail.
The sports industry has long been under criticism for partnerships with the alcohol industry for promoting health harmful products to society and specially youth. This move by the FA is a step in the right direction for reducing the pervasive alcohol norm in sports.
—
