How drunk is too drunk to be allowed into a football stadium these days?

[Bry Nylon]

I can envisage quite a few people turning up for the first game at the AMEX conspicuously pissed on August 6th, and being refused entry to the stadium. Not a happy situation for anyone to be in after a 14 year wait, but you just know its going to happen...

 

[Art Vs Science]

4 sips of Albion Ale

 

[BHAryan]

When your throwing carrots at stewards

 

[BensGrandad]

2 of my sons were nicked at Crewe 2 seasons ago both had had a drink but maintain they were not drunk, so much so that they got a conditional discharge and Brighton did not consider a banning order. However they were held in Nantwich and released at 1,00am and charged with entering a sport venue having consumed alcohol. They were told there is no limit either lower or upper the mere fact of having had a drink was sufficient. Hence I was often quite staggered to go past The Sportsman into Withdean North Stand watching people drinking and wondering how did they over come this law.

Incidentally sons reckoned it was because they cleaned up in the pub at pool as both are fairly good pool players and the locals had the hump that nobody could beat them.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

When your throwing carrots at stewards

projectile vomit ?

 

[Bozza]

Hence I was often quite staggered to go past The Sportsman into Withdean North Stand watching people drinking and wondering how did they over come this law.

Were you? Were you really actually STAGGERED to see a pub near a football ground selling beer and associated hard beverages to paying customers?

 

[Max Paper]

Not entirely related but we flew out to Spain on my stag doo the same day as the man u vs Chelsea champions league final. We had an early flight from Gatwick, about 7am, some guy at the airport was absolutely wankered and got marched out the airport, f***ing his whole trip up! Must have wasted thousands...

 

[Easy 10]

2 of my sons were nicked at Crewe 2 seasons ago both had had a drink but maintain they were not drunk

Incidentally sons reckoned it was because they cleaned up in the pub at pool as both are fairly good pool players and the locals had the hump that nobody could beat them.

Which they drunkenly relayed to the cops, no doubt.

"We wasshhh....we wassshhh fackin KILLIN' em on the pool tableshhh...ffff....pisshing ALL OVER them....and...nnnn...and thishh ish the troof right....naah nah, thishh ish the fff....thishh is the TROOF...they couldn't fackin take it...thatshhh all it wasshhh....yaa ffff..."

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It'll be the same amateurs that couldn't keep their act together enough to pass through the turnstiles at Withdean without drawing attention to themselves.

 

[BensGrandad]

Which they drunkenly relayed to the cops, no doubt.

"We wasshhh....we wassshhh fackin KILLIN' em on the pool tableshhh...ffff....pisshing ALL OVER them....and...nnnn...and thishh ish the troof right....naah nah, thishh ish the fff....thishh is the TROOF...they couldn't fackin take it...thatshhh all it wasshhh....yaa ffff..."

Quite funny, but they told me that not the old bill the eldest son was in the worst state and he was allowed in and then met them when they were released at 1.00am. To answer Bozza I was astounded that people could drink in The Sportsman quite openly when my sons were charged with entering a sports venue having consumed alcohol were all those people in The Sportman drinking cola or lemonade.

I must add that I have no great sympathy with sons as they should act their age and they old enough to know that excessive alcohol at football matchs will bring them trouble.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

How many people would tell their father how drunk they were?

 

[Bry Nylon]

It'll be the same amateurs that couldn't keep their act together enough to pass through the turnstiles at Withdean without drawing attention to themselves.

Maybe they could set up a dummy front door in a door frame (like you get in DIY shops), and anyone suspected of having had one too many has to try and get a key in the lock without gouging a 6 inch furrow down the paintwork?

 

[Timbo]

It's a ridiculous situation though, laws surely have to be black and white, not open to interpretation to some £8 an hour jobsworth. I would guess somewhere approaching 50% of people at a game have had a drink on the day. And how can you have a law about drinking at sports venue and then sell beer at the venue.

 

[Bozza]

It's a ridiculous situation though, laws surely have to be black and white, not open to interpretation to some £8 an hour jobsworth. I would guess somewhere approaching 50% of people at a game have had a drink on the day. And how can you have a law about drinking at sports venue and then sell beer at the venue.

So, what, mandatory breath testing on the way into a football ground?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Maybe they could set up a dummy front door in a door frame (like you get in DIY shops), and anyone suspected of having had one too many has to try and get a key in the lock without gouging a 6 inch furrow down the paintwork?

In my defence, pitiful as it is, I was completely sober upon entering the sporting arena

Aforementioned 6 inch furrow is still there BTW

 

[BensGrandad]

It's a ridiculous situation though, laws surely have to be black and white, not open to interpretation to some £8 an hour jobsworth. I would guess somewhere approaching 50% of people at a game have had a drink on the day. And how can you have a law about drinking at sports venue and then sell beer at the venue.

That is exactly my point and as it happened Brightons officer said he wouldnt have refused them admiussion but it was not up to him but one officer in Cheshire Constabulary. They have seen our PC at many matches and had a joke about it with him since then and bare no grudges.

 

[Martinf]

Funnily enough I took this video a couple of seasons ago on the way to a match at Crewe...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrF9F2QnX2E

 

[Art Vs Science]

Funnily enough I took this video a couple of seasons ago on the way to a match at Crewe...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrF9F2QnX2E

Genius. Did you manage to get home okay in the end?

 

[Timbo]

So, what, mandatory breath testing on the way into a football ground?

Obviously not, but surely there has to be an actual legal limit before someone can be detained, not just 'drunk'. How drunk is drunk is a very good question!

The Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985
- prohibits the possession of alcohol on the way to matches on football special coaches and trains and makes it an offence to be drunk on them
- makes an offence of trying to enter a ground when drunk or in possession of alcohol; of possessing or consuming alcohol within view of the pitch during the period of the match; or being drunk during the period of the match
- provides the police the power to search someone reasonably suspected of committing an offence under the Act, and to arrest such a person: this may include searching coaches or trains carrying passengers to or from matches or on arrival as well as searching fans waiting to enter a ground or inside a ground.

 

[Martinf]

Genius. Did you manage to get home okay in the end?

Once my friend and I managed to get to our feet we chased the man who stole my video camera.