Football fans to be breathalysed before matches Cambridge United will become the first club in the country to breathalyse fans entering the ground as part of a bid to reduce anti-social behaviour http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...l-fans-to-be-breathalysed-before-matches.html Football fans across the country could soon be breathalysed before entering grounds in a bid to stamp out anti-social behaviour and drunkenness at matches. The first initiative of its kind will be trialled at Saturday's game between League Two sides, Cambridge United and Burton Albion. Stewards at Cambridge’s Abbey Stadium will be presented with breathalyser devices called AlcoBlows, which will be used to measure whether fans are too drunk to be allowed entry. While the breathalysers will not be used on every supporter attending the match, anyone who appears to be intoxicated will be asked to blow into the device. If they are found to give a sample of 70 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, which is twice the legal drink drive limit, they will be refused admission. The scheme is an extension of a system operating in a number of towns and cities across the country where pub and club doormen use breathalysers to bar entry to revellers who are too drunk. But it is hoped if the scheme works well at Cambridge United it could become a regular feature at some of the bigger grounds including Premier League stadiums. • Pitch side breathalyser to test for concussion Sergeant Ian Wood of Cambridgeshire Police said there were a number of alcohol-related laws around sporting events and these included the offence of trying to enter a sports ground while drunk. He said: “My concern is that fans will be unaware of these offences and I hope that the introduction of the devices will help stewards make empowered decisions about who should enter the ground and educate fans about the ramifications of being drunk at sporting events. “We accept that a responsible fan may consume a moderate amount of alcohol before a game, however, we are focusing on the overly-intoxicated people who are most likely to become problematic during or after the game. “The breathalysers will detect anything above twice the legal drink-drive limit.” But supporters’ groups said the scheme was unnecessary as football arrests were at their lowest point ever and stewards already had the power to bar fans if they thought they were too drunk. Amanda Jacks of the Football Supporters' Federation, said: “This unnecessarily demonises football fans for what is, largely, a scheme aimed at pubgoers and clubbers. “For years stewards have had the discretion to ascertain “drunkenness” and refuse entry to supporters. We’re not entirely sure what is achieved by introducing this new system. “Last season there were only eight arrests at Cambridge United home games, and a further eight at away games. “Of those 16 arrests, only three were for offences relating to alcohol. By the Home Office’s own stats, football arrests are at their lowest point ever, and we think that’s a definitely a story worth reporting.” A spokesman for The Football Association said the scheme was an independently run initiative and therefore not something it would comment on.
Even so I'm sure it'll be ok to drink copious amounts of the expensive and ****e beer whilst inside the football grounds ...
This is ****ing stupid. Beyond words. Units in your body is not representative of alcohol tolerance, tolerance is down to your metabolism which effects how you store fat, how medications effect you and in this case how mind altering drugs effect you. Basically if you want to know if somebody is too drunk to enter the ground fairly, USE YOUR ****ING EYES AND EARS!
Fine, so long as they do the same at Twickenham, Henley, Polo and what about all those point to points and grouse hunts? Yes alcohol causes problems, but only among football fans?
So that's about 4 pints I'm twice over every game before I get there. Still that might help the pub industry as fans will just say "F*ck it" and stay there for a few more bevvies. Alcohol significantly helps the atmosphere at football grounds. How many arrests do our local constabulary make when we are at home? Bet you it's an extremely small percentage. What time would you have to get there to get in the ground on time if this is to be done? Utter b*llocks. Won't happen at the SoL imo.
This is difficult. With fans like Sunderland's, it's an unnecessary evil because they are usually so well behaved. But what about Cardiff or Leeds fans? What about some of the Glasgow away fans who are notorious for smashing windows in places where they lose? It's fans like those who get all footy fans a bad name and cause measures like this. If this idea takes off at all, I hope it will be targeted properly and not introduced across the board.
No more than a smoking ban that forbade landlords from building separate smoking areas in their own pubs. And when someone blatantly lies that a building with a 100 yard hole in the roof (e.g. SoL) is an "enclosed public place". isn't that against human rights? When an unelected organization largely financed by the nicotine patch industry for their own ends was allowed to run this country for us, that's when Big Brother arrived.
Passive smoking gets in other people's lungs, so I have to say that i am in full agreement with the ban. However, I do believe that pubs and clubs should at least have smoking areas for those who are hooked..
This is bang on, I'd never drive after 4 shorts amounting to 4 units, because my tolerance is pretty low when it comes to alcohol, I'd legally be allowed to drive but I wouldn't dream of it, cos I'm a alco-tuss after years of self abuse, I rarely drink at all any more.
Defo not mate, I'm off to Prague on Friday as well, Czech beer festival is on. I'll end up wrecked before breakfast. I used to put it away a lot better, but nowadays my limits are pretty low, because of the way I eat though I have to eat at least three times on a night out now as well, which helps a lot.
Eating, whilst drinking...wtf? Just got back after a 5 day sess. but with a bit of work involved, which seems to have gone really well..If this one comes off, i may never return to the UK...fingers crossed.
Good luck mate. Yeah, got to eat, I get hungry about 6 times per day at least. If I leave it too long I get Hangry, hangry is way worse than hungry.
