Strict Alcohol Regulations Enforced at UD Las Palmas Stadium

omidbasir- Alcohol consumption is now strictly prohibited at stadiums. The existing regulation that banned the sale of alcoholic beverages within sports venues has been expanded to include the prohibition of consuming alcohol in outdoor areas as well. According to Royal Decree 203/2010, enacted on February 26, it states that “accessing, consuming, or selling alcohol outside specifically authorized zones (such as the VIP area) is not allowed.” Additionally, entering the venue under the influence of alcohol may result in penalties, including expulsion from the stadium, revocation of season tickets, and monetary fines.

Currently, this enforcement is affecting ten fans of UD Las Palmas. Moreover, the Anti-Violence Commission has proposed a €1,500 fine and a three-month ban from sports venues for two other supporters. These actions stem from incidents during the match on October 19 against Eibar, where police conducted breathalyzer tests, leading to several fans from the Canary Islands being removed from Gran Canaria Stadium due to signs of alcohol consumption.

The Government Delegation will oversee the application of these proposed penalties. Should the sanctions be confirmed, UD Las Palmas will be responsible for revoking the season tickets of the punished fans. It is important to note that, as there is no legally established minimum alcohol level, the authorized limit is 0.0%. Thus, Gran Canaria Stadium becomes the first to adopt such strict measures, setting a precedent that raises concerns among fan bases nationwide.

The police intervention occurred on a Sunday marked by incidents unrelated to the match itself. Early that morning, violent altercations were reported between ultra groups from RSD Alcalá and UD Las Palmas near the yellow stadium. The president of UD Las Palmas, Miguel Ángel Ramírez, commented on these events in the Zona Deportiva program on Radio Las Palmas: “The police understood that a specific sector of the fans did not want issues similar to those experienced earlier that morning, so they conducted controls. However, such occurrences are not typical. There are consequences for actions taken.”

As the president pointed out, these are exceptional measures that are not expected to be implemented at every match or at all stadiums. Nevertheless, this represents an additional tool for monitoring more problematic groups during high-risk matches, such as local derbies.