Newcastle United are one of four Women's Championship clubs participating in a pioneering scheme allowing fans to drink alcohol in the stands. The initiative at Kingston Park will also involve Birmingham at St Andrews, Bristol City at Ashton Gate and Southampton at St Mary's, enabling supporters to consume alcohol while watching the pitch.

This move comes as current regulations prohibit drinking in view of the pitch in the top five tiers of English men’s football – rules that do not apply to the women's game.

At The Summit – part of Leaders Week London – in October, Nikki Doucet, CEO of Women's Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL), revealed that trial runs are scheduled for this season. She said: "We are testing that actually in a couple of teams in the Championship this season and we’ll see what we learn from that.

READ MORE: EFL hand Newcastle United paltry prize money if they win Carabao Cup

READ MORE: Newcastle United admirers of two Bournemouth stars but face Chelsea transfer competition

"I think our fan base and the behaviour is different (to the men’s game), and I think ultimately it’s about being able to give our fans choices, while obviously maintaining the safety and what we need to do in terms of being responsible."

Each involved team will implement the pilot during four or five home games in the latter half of the Women's Championship season. Bristol City and Southampton start their trials on January 19, coinciding with their matches against London City Lionesses and Sunderland, respectively.

The following week sees Birmingham and Newcastle commence their participation, with January 26 fixtures against Bristol City and Portsmouth, respectively.