- By Harrison Jones
- BBC News
Image source, Getty Images
England captain Harry Kane (centre) with Bayern Munich team mates Manuel Neuer (left) and Thomas Muller
British football fans travelling to the Euros this summer have been warned that beer in Germany can be stronger than pints at home.
England and Scotland supporters were told they could be barred from grounds if they have too many steins.
The Foreign Office issued the official advice ahead of the men’s football tournament in June and July.
“Beer can be stronger than in the UK, so drink responsibly, know your limits and respect local laws,” it said.
“You may not be let into the stadium if you drink too much.”
Hundreds of thousands of British fans are expected to travel to the tournament, which will be held across 10 German cities.
The average strength of lager and ale in the UK is around 4.4%, according to UK charity Drinkaware. Beers in Germany, meanwhile, can often be between 4.7% and 5.4%.
Sampling local beer ‘in moderation’
Paul Goodwin, co-founder of the Scottish Football Supporters Association, told the BBC he had to do a “double take” on the date of the Foreign Office advice, to make sure it was not an early April Fools’ story.
“There are of course many things that Scotland fans need to be warned about but we don’t really think this is one of them”, he said.
“The Tartan Army have watched Scotland all over the world and enjoyed sampling the culture and, of course, the local beer sensibly and in moderation – win, lose or draw.”
Scotland face Germany in the opening match of the tournament, on 14 June in Munich.
England kick off against Serbia two days later in Gelsenkirchen.
Neither Wales nor Northern Ireland qualified.
