Because it's fun to warm up and talk up a match beforehand. The discussions before and after matches are the most important part of the game, because to be honest, football matches themselves are very often not that fun (CL-final last WE a big exception), so it takes a little beer to liven up the thing. Sometimes, like seeing Sion I guess it takes a lot of beer...(apologies all Sion-fans, I really don't know if Sion is a boring team.)

Drinking=celebration= fun= getting together= supporting "our" team= destress and spend nice moments in this very stressful life= beacause the prediction done that time are better than when you don't drink?

And beacuse Sion is in Valley and the Valley people are veeeery easy going party people..?

If you don't like it/accepte/tolerate , don't go for any sport match

My question has nothing to do with making moral judgements about going or not going, or having to accept whatever. It really is a topic that always seems to accompany football in the news, so why?

I think that the first reply raising pre-match anticipation/fun and post match and discussion/fun gave me the right insight, thanks. 

I don't get slaughtered before going to the movies, for example, simply because my goal is follow the movie. It is true I do have a tendency to follow a soccer game too if I go to see one, like last night in Geneva, and even enjoy a beer but not to the extent of not following the game :-) But I may have drunk something before going to see the Rocky Horror Picture with a bunch of friends long ago, right!

Anyway, I love reading "discussions before and after matches are the most important part of the game"!

Its become cultural I guess... or even "tribal"... and drinking has become a habitual part of that.

Most stadiums wont let completely enebriated people in...whether its soccer, hockey, or whatever.... hooliganism, is associated with alcohol, and maybe how many get their courage up... but the root cause of the hooligan is sociological and not drink related.

Alot of poeple associate drinking as both a social and relaxing thing... sports events are seen as both by many.

Going to watch football in a pub for example..atmospheric, and made a "happier" time by the fact that you can have a beer.

In days gone by I could watch international Rugby matches in stadiums that served beer at half time... not any more, but many Rugby clubs (even the top flight) have bars for supporters to have an after match beer, often with the players.

Its not just limited to football, although thats the most obvious sport, rugby, cricket, ice hockey, horse racing , dog racing etc etc all have a "culture" of drinking whilst watching...

(I suspect Badminton, table tennis, athletics  and swimming have less such a alcoholic following.)

It is a tribal thing, isn't it. Choosing your colors, waving that flag, singing thr right songs and all 

After match gigs are a good idea.

Badmington hooligans sounds pretty oddball, for sure...

Does any individual sport have hooligan problems? Wrestling? And there were those boxing scandals in Seoul Olympics of course.