Policing at Withdean

[tedebear]

Oh and my two pence worth in my very few trips to Withdean I've never been uncomfortable about the policing...Outside the tunnel to the train station was a bit uncomfortable after a game once, but some drunkards seem to get intimidated bya few cops and then can't control themselves...think they are being picked on...

 

[Kenhead]

What happened when we scored there 3rd and there was an incident in the away end, did one of millwall try and jump out of the stand and on to the running track?

 

[mona]

I'm confused - you seem to be talking a great deal about the alcohol and very little about "the incident"..... what actually have they been found guilty of? and what is the incident?

Surely it's not an offence to drink before going to a game.

 

[tedebear]

Surely it's not an offence to drink before going to a game.

Thats what I was wondering, we'd all be in the nick then! - he seemed to mention an incident though?

 

[PC BHA]

bens grandad,

I look after the policing at away matches when Sussex police attend also, infact I attend most of them. I think you maybe referring to the Crewe match. If you are and would like to discuss more PM or email me, I will meet up with you as well if you wish.

 

[BensGrandad]

I'm confused - you seem to be talking a great deal about the alcohol and very little about "the incident"..... what actually have they been found guilty of? and what is the incident?

The stewards said that they smelt as if they had been drinking and as such could not go into the game whereupon Sussex Police, not Cheshire, arrested them for attempting to enter a sports arena whilst under the influence of alcohol, that is what they were charged with and pleaded guilty.

In line with drink driving legislation anybody who drinks more than 1 pint in The Sportsman could be deemed to be under the influence of alcohol.

They pleaded guilty because there is no defence against it a police officer says you under the influence of alcohol you say you are not who is right?

What professional qualification does a normal police officer have to determine that a person is 'under the influence of alcohol'?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Surely it's not an offence to drink before going to a game.

I assumed it was compulsory

 

[BensGrandad]

bens grandad,

I look after the policing at away matches when Sussex police attend also, infact I attend most of them. I think you maybe referring to the Crewe match. If you are and would like to discuss more PM or email me, I will meet up with you as well if you wish.

Have done

 

[e77]

There really wouldn't be enough cells to lock everyone up who enters a Saturday afternoon game at Withdean after a drink or two!

So how come some grounds sell alcohol then? Wouldn't you be breaking the law by having a drink in a ground?

 

[tedebear]

The stewards said that they smelt as if they had been drinking and as such could not go into the game whereupon Sussex Police, not Cheshire, arrested them for attempting to enter a sports arena whilst under the influence of alcohol, that is what they were charged with and pleaded guilty.

In line with drink driving legislation anybody who drinks more than 1 pint in The Sportsman could be deemed to be under the influence of alcohol.

They pleaded guilty because there is no defence against it a police officer says you under the influence of alcohol you say you are not who is right?

What professional qualification does a normal police officer have to determine that a person is 'under the influence of alcohol'?

I can't defend either side as I wasn't present but surely they must have given the police some reason to try and prohibit them from entering?

But I will say that even if you have had a half - you are under the influence of alcohol, how impaired you are by that influence is the debatable matter, not the fact you have been drinking.

 

[BensGrandad]

There really wouldn't be enough cells to lock everyone up who enters a Saturday afternoon game at Withdean after a drink or two!

So how come some grounds sell alcohol then? Wouldn't you be breaking the law by having a drink in a ground?

That is exactly my point as we always go for a drink especially at away games both before and after the game.

However, I would ask that this matter now be dropped as I am in consultation with PC BHA on the subject and it wouldnt be prudent for either of us to pass further comment.

 

[227 BHA]

We were drinking pints sold inside the stand at West Ham last season - what are they going to do, lock up the entire away section?

 

[Lady Whistledown]

To clear this up (from a general point of view, rather than relative to BensGrandad's specific complaint, as I don't know the ins and outs of that situation), this is where you stand...

We were drinking pints sold inside the stand at West Ham last season - what are they going to do, lock up the entire away section?

The Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol) Act 1985 states that you commit an offence if you're in possession of alcohol while in any area of a designated sports ground from where the event may directly be viewed.

The key point here is the last bit, which essentially means in view of the pitch. So some clubs will sell beer under the stands, where you can drink it, but you can't take it up to your seat to watch the game.

Under this legislation, you also commit an offence if you're in possession of alcohol while trying to enter the ground.

The other part of that law states that it's an offence to be drunk in a designated sports ground at any time during the period of the event, or to be drunk while trying to enter the ground.

Let's face it, plenty of people go to the pub before games. The trick, therefore, is to ensure you are, or at least appear, sufficiently sober not to cause anyone at the ground- usually a steward, but it could occasionally be the police- to believe you're drunk enough to be a potential problem.

Hope that makes a bit more sense.

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

Any chance we could have an over-presence of these

 

[BensGrandad]

The Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol) Act 1985 states that you commit an offence if you're in possession of alcohol while in any area of a designated sports ground from where the event may directly be viewed.

The key point here is the last bit, which essentially means in view of the pitch. So some clubs will sell beer under the stands, where you can drink it, but you can't take it up to your seat to watch the game.

2 points I noticed last Friday that there were parts of the ground that could be viewed from The Sportsman as the tarpaulin used did not completely cover the view from the pub in fact you could probably see most of the west end of the ground.


Also we visited a ground last season, cannot remember which, but I am sure somebody will tell me, may have been Swansea, where we could buy a drink in the area down below the seats and watch the match on the clubs own TV screens of which there were numerous scattered about all over the concours.


This makes a mockery of the act.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Probably splitting hairs a bit but here goes.

The Sportsman is not technically part of the ground, like a stand, it's a privately owned pub. They do cover up the view (mostly) of the pitch, but I'd imagine that's as much of a revenue issue as anything else, otherwise people could not bother paying to get into the Albion, but instead just go to the Sportsman for the afternoon and watch from there, over a beer.

Re Swansea, it's just a TV screen, not a proper view of the pitch, the point of the law I guess is to stop you taking alcohol to your seat. If you really wanted to pay to get into a ground and then spend the whole game underneath the stand watching on TV just so you could have a few jars, fair enough, but it seems a bit pointless to me. Much rather watch the game itself.

 

[e77]

So you can't enter a ground carrying alcohol but they can sell it to you when inside?

The law is indeed an ass.

I can never quite understand what drunk is in the eyes of the law. Looking at what BG said it would seem to be drinking any alcohol at all.

 

[Yoda]

The Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol) Act 1985 states that you commit an offence if you're in possession of alcohol while in any area of a designated sports ground from where the event may directly be viewed.

The key point here is the last bit, which essentially means in view of the pitch. So some clubs will sell beer under the stands, where you can drink it, but you can't take it up to your seat to watch the game.

Where does this stand with other sports then, like Rugby & Cricket? Or is it a football only ruling?

 

[e77]

Where does this stand with other sports then, like Rugby & Cricket? Or is it a football only ruling?

Also, how come you can drink alcohol while watching games at some non-league grounds as well?

 

[timbha]

Also, how come you can drink alcohol while watching games at some non-league grounds as well?

and corporate hospitality boxes......although I believe you are not permitted to pass through the patio doors, etc carrying alcohol.