Should the supporters bar (Dick's Bar) allow children to enter?

[Brovion]

That is exactly my experience too, and I share your views.

One thing that is striking in these two threads is that, with a few exceptions, how much more eloquently one side of the arguement is being put than the other.

Basically there are TWO points being held up as reasons by the 'no camp'.

One is that an adult is more deserving of the use of one of the 250 spaces than a child. Crucially, whilst I've now read this a dozen times, I've yet to see an answer to my question WHY this should be so.

The other is that its 'meant to be a place to get pissed and swear'. Great argument. If you are worried that, the presence of a few well-behaved kids might deny you the opportunity to use the word f*** a few times, that says far more about you than them.

Like DKM I'm neutral and I can see both sides and I too think one side is being more eloquent than the other - and that's the NOs. A large part of the YES argument seems to be "Well you NOs either haven't got kids or don't like them." Colossal Squid on the other thread I think has been very eloquent.

Anyway, like I said, it matters not. It doesn't matter if it's no kids, kids and adults or kids only - apart from a tiny tiny tiny percentage no one's getting in. One could even argue that it's actually a sensible policy to help limit the number of potential customers.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Anyway, like I said, it matters not. It doesn't matter if it's no kids, kids and adults or kids only - apart from a tiny tiny tiny percentage no one's getting in. One could argue that it's actually a sensible policy to help limit the number of potential customers.

IF that were the reasoning, then it's an entirely arbritary decision. They might just as well have banned people with surnames starting A-F.

 

[Brovion]

IF that were the reasoning, then it's an entirely arbritary decision. They might just as well have banned people with surnames starting A-F.

Well I have never heard of a pub/bar/club that's barred access to people because of their surnames, whereas ... well you know what I'm going to say.

So it wasn't an arbitrary decision. You see what I mean about the eloquence of the arguments?

 

[Aristotle]

I'm not intending to take my kids there either, as we are going to be arriving quite late. Not wanting to use it, and being banned from doing so, are very different things though. I'm yet to hear one VALID reason why people should be denied the choice.

But the argument from choice works both ways. There are some (quite a few by the look of the poll) people who appreciate having the choice to spend some time in an adults only environment. This is only a very small part of the stadium, should the club not give this group of people that choice?

 

[imissworthing2]

Because, believe it or not, some people actually quite enjoy being in an adults only environment when they're having a beer or a meal. Are they lesser fans because they don't want kids running around? Is their money worth less?

Well should'nt they find somewhere other than a stadium which admits 22k fans of all ages to have their pre match drink.

Due to living in wales, I'll probably visit the amex 4/5 times this season with my GF and 16month old, each trip will be a time of great excitment were I want to take in all the ground has to offer. We'd happily queue earlier and probably stay well after the final whistle in the supporters bar, spending far more than we would spend if the concourses are our only option. So forgetting the moral implications of this decision, even on a financial basis I'm not really convinced it makes sense.

 

[seagull1981]

im a kid and if i was not aloud entry then thats just unfair!i think the matchday experience is chatting with people about the game. a pub isnt all about booze its about socialism aswell!

 

[trueblue]

Well should'nt they find somewhere other than a stadium which admits 22k fans of all ages to have their pre match drink.

Due to living in wales, I'll probably visit the amex 4/5 times this season with my GF and 16month old, each trip will be a time of great excitment were I want to take in all the ground has to offer. We'd happily queue earlier and probably stay well after the final whistle in the supporters bar, spending far more than we would spend if the concourses are our only option. So forgetting the moral implications of this decision, even on a financial basis I'm not really convinced it makes sense.

I can sympathise with your predicament - I think for fans who live a long way away it obviously has more of an impact as it won't be possible to visit the bar on non-matchdays if the kids are really that keen to see the mosaic. However, the financial argument just doesn't stack up - there are going to be comfortably enough people who haven't got kids with them who'll be filling up the bar.. I just can't see that the club will lose any money.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

How is the club going to implement this ban on children? Is there going to be a steward on the door?

 

[Lush]

How is the club going to implement this ban on children? Is there going to be a steward on the door?

No. A very scary monster.

 

[Bozza]

How is the club going to implement this ban on children? Is there going to be a steward on the door?

If so, I hope they complete this test - How Many Five Year Olds Could You Take in a Fight? - to ensure they're up to the job.

 

[imissworthing2]

I can sympathise with your predicament - I think for fans who live a long way away it obviously has more of an impact as it won't be possible to visit the bar on non-matchdays if the kids are really that keen to see the mosaic. However, the financial argument just doesn't stack up - there are going to be comfortably enough people who haven't got kids with them who'll be filling up the bar.. I just can't see that the club will lose any money.

First I'm not going to be losing sleep over this or anything, watching the game and the albion winning will make the day.

I might be getting myself muddled up here (apoliges if so)but surely the club would be better off if I spend £30 five times a season in the bar than £10 five times a season on the concourses. The person who's place I take in the supporters bar will probably still spend the same amount on beer in the concourses tho

 

[ROSM]

I have voted yes - because I was provided with the opportunity to vote. Not that I would 'complain' to the club about it.

I think it's a poor decision by the club and one that by implication shows that all the effort that John put in was worthwhile. Ironically the number of people on here who now have a strong opinion about it is very interesting given that many of them were dismissive of the idea in the first place. If only all those now wishing to protect their adult only status had given John an hour of their time to get this up and running then it would I'm sure have been of significant assistance to him when he was battling against apathy from the club.

 

[Billy the Fish]

Well should'nt they find somewhere other than a stadium which admits 22k fans of all ages to have their pre match drink

They don't need to, Dick's bar doesn't allow kids and it's right on the doorstep

 

[Bozza]

Don't waste your time voting on this one anyway, I'll just quietly add some votes over the coming days when no-one is looking such that 'Yes' is a comprehensive winner.

 

[ROSM]

I saw Lord B's idea on another thread of getting people to hand over their cash outside the stadium to drive the clubs intent to be cashless inside.

So perhaps there should be a childminding service outside Dick's so that if families can be motivated to get out of their pits on a saturday lunchtime to be there when it opens and be in the first 200 then the parents at least can gain full value from the facility (of course I hope that our little darlings aren't running round too much outside to put people off using the megastore)? Any suggestions on who could run it?

 

[The Large One]

I saw Lord B's idea on another thread of getting people to hand over their cash outside the stadium to drive the clubs intent to be cashless inside.

So perhaps there should be a childminding service outside Dick's so that if families can be motivated to get out of their pits on a saturday lunchtime to be there when it opens and be in the first 200 then the parents at least can gain full value from the facility (of course I hope that our little darlings aren't running round too much outside to put people off using the megastore)? Any suggestions on who could run it?

Keith Chegwin.

 

[somerset]

I know there's an argument for the capacity issue but 'the ban' definitely spoils the vibe of the stadium being open and accessible to everyone.

So there you have it, answered it yourself,.... 250 capacity, if half of them are kids on a can of coke and a packet of crisps, where is the cashflow going to come from to keep the club coffers going,.... they want 250 independant adults with spending money,..... that and the fact that a bar is a bar, not a playground.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

How is the club going to implement this ban on children? Is there going to be a steward on the door?

They're going to have one of these boards with heights marked on like they have on the pier. It'll say 'You must be THIS high to enter Dicks'

 

[Giraffe]

First poll I have seen on NSC for a while that is genuinely close.

 

[British Bulldog]

So there you have it, answered it yourself,.... 250 capacity, if half of them are kids on a can of coke and a packet of crisps, where is the cashflow going to come from to keep the club coffers going,.... they want 250 independant adults with spending money,..... that and the fact that a bar is a bar, not a playground.

So what about the adults that will go in there and only drink coke because they're driving? Or is there going to be more new rules saying you must drink alcohol and spend a minimum amount of money if you want to go in there?