M·E·L Research Support with WSL Football Evaluation of Expanded ‘Fan Choice’ Pilot
M·E·L Research is proud to be supporting Women’s Super League (WSL) Football by delivering the evaluation of the second phase of the Fan Choice: Alcohol in the Bowl pilot – a pioneering initiative that allows fans to drink alcohol in their seats at women’s football matches and will enhance fan choice across women’s football.
“This pilot places fan voice and experience at its heart. We’re proud to be working with WSL Football again to build the evidence base on what works, for whom, and in what kinds of stadium environments. The scale and diversity of this year’s trial gives us a unique opportunity to draw nuanced insights that can help inform future policy both in football and potentially beyond.”
Following the success of the initial trial during the second half of the 2024–25 season – which involved four clubs in the Women’s Championship (now rebranded as the Barclays Women’s Super League 2, or Barclays WSL2) – the pilot has expanded to the full 2025–26 season. Fifteen clubs across both the Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL) and WSL2 have taken part in the season so far, delivering over 100 fixtures, to be joined by Tottenham, Leicester City and Nottingham Forest for the rest of the season. This scale makes this one of the most ambitious crowd experience pilots seen in UK sport in recent years.
The expansion includes some of the biggest names in the women’s game, with matches taking place at iconic stadiums including the Emirates, Anfield, Stamford Bridge, Old Trafford, Goodison Park, and St James’ Park. All clubs competing in Barclays WSL and Barclays WSL2 were given the opportunity to opt in, with the list of participating clubs, including the latest joiners:
Barclays Women’s Super League (BWSL)
Arsenal
Aston Villa
Chelsea
Everton
Leicester City
Liverpool
London City Lionesses
Manchester City
Manchester United
Tottenham Hotspur
Barclays Women’s Super League 2 (BWSL2)
Birmingham City
Bristol City
Crystal Palace
Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest
Sheffield United
Sunderland
Southampton
The pilot forms part of WSL Football’s broader strategy to offer a best-in-class experience for fans attending women’s games, exploring how greater flexibility and fan choice can enhance the matchday atmosphere.
Building on our role evaluating the proof-of-concept pilot in the 2024-2025 season, M·E·L Research is delivering a robust and independent evaluation of the full-season rollout. Our approach combines fan surveys, focus groups, matchday observations, stakeholder interviews, and comparative analysis to understand the impacts of the policy across a wide variety of club contexts and fan demographics. Results from a survey conducted with 4,720 fans at the mid-point in the season found that fans rated their sense of safety at fixtures as 9.4/10, and 70% were in favour of fans having the choice to drink alcohol in their seats.
“The pilot isn’t just about allowing alcohol in the stands – it’s about reshaping the matchday experience in a way that respects different fan needs, safeguards the inclusive culture of the women’s game, and responds to what supporters are actually asking for. Our role is to ensure that clubs and the league have actionable insight to support decision-making throughout the season and beyond.”
Evaluation activities are taking place between August 2025 and June 2026, and include:
Three fan surveys (pre-, mid-, and post-season), with club-level insights
Focus groups with supporters across different regions
Matchday site visits to observe service models, fan behaviour and crowd dynamics
Interviews with club staff, stewards, hospitality providers and officials
A symposium to share findings and promote peer learning
A final evaluation report and audio-visual outputs to inform wider stakeholder discussions
Need support with your own women’s football social research?
Whether you’re a public body, charity, or organisation looking to understand your audience, evaluate impact, or inform future strategies, we’re here to help.
Get in touch with the M·E·L Research women’s football social research team today via our ‘Get in touch’ form at the end of the article to see how our expert researchers can support your goals. Alternatively, you can email the team at info@melresearch.co.uk.
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