Being searched on entry to football

[richie]

Does anyone know if stewards have the authority to search children when entering a ground. My son is 13 and was searched at Burnley. I'm hindsight it just doesnt sit right with me. Fully aware it's part of the T&Cs on the ticket........ but for kids?

 

Couldn't find anything on google

[egg]

Does anyone know if stewards have the authority to search children when entering a ground. My son is 13 and was searched at Burnley. I'm hindsight it just doesnt sit right with me. Fully aware it's part of the T&Cs on the ticket........ but for kids?

 

Couldn't find anything on google

What's the issue? You know your nipper wasn't carrying anything he wasn't supposed to, but the stewards didn't. People are searched for a reason and I'm not sure why a 13 year old shouldn't get the same treatment as everyone else.

[hypochondriac]

Does anyone know if stewards have the authority to search children when entering a ground. My son is 13 and was searched at Burnley. I'm hindsight it just doesnt sit right with me. Fully aware it's part of the T&Cs on the ticket........ but for kids?

 

Couldn't find anything on google

Why doesn't it sit right with you?

[Whitey Grandad]

Why doesn't it sit right with you?

 

It’s inappropriate for any adult to improperly touch up a child, excuse or no excuse.

[egg]

It’s inappropriate for any adult to improperly touch up a child, excuse or no excuse.

If it's for security at a footy match it's entirely proper imo. We're not talking about some random grabbing his crown jewels in sainsburys.

[Dry Toast]

To be fair, when I was 13, I'd have been carrying knives, drugs and hooky contracts for decent defenders. So maybe justified?

[Micky]

It’s inappropriate for any adult to improperly touch up a child, excuse or no excuse.

His son was searched, not "touched up". I was searched as I went in today, the steward barely touched me, just patted obvious areas where I might have something, like pockets and around my waist. It probably took no more than 5 seconds, and was no different to hundreds of times that this has happened both home and away. I had my 15 year old son with me who was not searched, but I would have no problem had he undergone the same procedure as me.

 

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[Whitey Grandad]

If it's for security at a footy match it's entirely proper imo. We're not talking about some random grabbing his crown jewels in sainsburys.

 

It’s come to a very sorry state when we are suspecting children of being a security threat. Just because it’s a football match shouldn’t make any difference. What next? Supermarkets, shopping malls, train stations?

[Badger]

It’s come to a very sorry state when we are suspecting children of being a security threat. Just because it’s a football match shouldn’t make any difference. What next? Supermarkets, shopping malls, train stations?

 

So you wouldn't consider a 15 year old might conceal a flare or anything which might be used by an older member of his group of friends once in the ground ?

[egg]

It’s come to a very sorry state when we are suspecting children of being a security threat. Just because it’s a football match shouldn’t make any difference. What next? Supermarkets, shopping malls, train stations?

Yep, it's a sorry world, and kids carry stuff they shouldn't. Your point was that searching of the lad going into a footy match was 'improper'. You've now gone off at a tangent. He was searched, that's not improper, it's sensible and necessary. I'm not getting into a wider discussion about searching of youths.

[Saint_clark]

Want to know the real f*cked up thing? If he was searched by a woman it's considered fine by the authorities. If he was searched by a man, well then that has broken the rules and you can report them.

I don't think you should (unless you feel they were being inappropriate) just pointing out how ****ed up it is that the rules surrounding searching children automatically assumes that men are more likely to want to touch up kids.

 

As for him being searched, as long as you were present, gave consent and it was by a woman then it's perfectly legal. If you wanted to refuse consent they probably would have let you in eventually but would have been entitled to refuse him entry and then refuse you entry on the grounds that a minor couldn't be left unaccompanied.

 

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[whelk]

If you want to get a flare into a game the best wa6 I have found is to put in a condom, swallow it and sh1t it out at HT.

Or insert into your vagina. No one has ever searched mine at a football match

[hypochondriac]

It’s inappropriate for any adult to improperly touch up a child, excuse or no excuse.

Define "improperly touch".

[hypochondriac]

If you want to get a flare into a game the best wa6 I have found is to put in a condom, swallow it and sh1t it out at HT.

Or insert into your vagina. No one has ever searched mine at a football match

Lol.

[Kingsland Codger]

It’s come to a very sorry state when we are suspecting children of being a security threat. Just because it’s a football match shouldn’t make any difference. What next? Supermarkets, shopping malls, train stations?

 

Stade de France 15 November 2015. France v Germany.

[Faz]

The issue for me is not the age of the person being searched, but the fact the searching happens at all. I went to the cricket on Friday night, no personal searching. I go shopping on Saturday, when apparently every other person these days carries a knife, but no searching at West Quay.

 

I had a beer on Friday night, and was sat amongst a few people who had drunk quite a bit more than one pint.

 

I would say it’s discrimination against a working class sport, but for the fact I’m middle class and apparently support the most middle class team in the league.

[Batman]

The issue for me is not the age of the person being searched, but the fact the searching happens at all. I went to the cricket on Friday night, no personal searching. I go shopping on Saturday, when apparently every other person these days carries a knife, but no searching at West Quay.

 

I had a beer on Friday night, and was sat amongst a few people who had drunk quite a bit more than one pint.

 

I would say it’s discrimination against a working class sport, but for the fact I’m middle class and apparently support the most middle class team in the league.

 

stop the wailing. You should be thankful football does this in a low-level effort to keep you safe.

the fact cricket does not, is the ECBs issue.

 

do you waaaaaah at the airport?

[bangkoksaint]

The searches they do are pointless. I was at Burnley yesterday with my son and we attend numerous away games where supporters are searched. They should either do it correctly or not bother. However to do it right would take too much time. They would be better off profiling those they want to search, use intelligence (information) to target certain individuals or doing thorough random searches. At Stoke a couple of years ago the drugs dog was all over me - I don’t even smoke. It turned out it was because I also have a Labrador and that was what he was sniffing. It was lucky for me as it could have proved professionally embarrassing.

[Batman]

The searches they do are pointless. I was at Burnley yesterday with my son and we attend numerous away games where supporters are searched. They should either do it correctly or not bother. However to do it right would take too much time. They would be better off profiling those they want to search, use intelligence (information) to target certain individuals or doing thorough random searches. At Stoke a couple of years ago the drugs dog was all over me - I don’t even smoke. It turned out it was because I also have a Labrador and that was what he was sniffing. It was lucky for me as it could have proved professionally embarrassing.

 

How do you know there is no intelligence used to target certain individuals? The point of random searches is just that, it is a overt deterrent.

I am amazed football has never been a target for a terrorist attack in this country (that we know of) given the global profile and sheer numbers in a very small space.

on a more local level, rarely do old fashioned dust-ups take place with lunatics with their shanks!

 

maybe, security at football is not all that wrong, given the fine balance that needs to be trodden to keep people safe v the melts who complain about it

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

Does anyone know if stewards have the authority to search children when entering a ground. My son is 13 and was searched at Burnley. I'm hindsight it just doesnt sit right with me. Fully aware it's part of the T&Cs on the ticket........ but for kids?

 

Couldn't find anything on google

 

Totally agree. My son, who would have been ten at the time had his Saints ruck sack searched by stewards as St Mary's a couple of years ago. All I could do was turn to the steward and say 'really' and explain to my son that he had done nothing wrong. Some stewards make a lot more work for themselves by not having the ability to gauge risk levels.

[bangkoksaint]

How do you know there is no intelligence used to target certain individuals? The point of random searches is just that, it is a overt deterrent.

I am amazed football has never been a target for a terrorist attack in this country (that we know of) given the global profile and sheer numbers in a very small space.

on a more local level, rarely do old fashioned dust-ups take place with lunatics with their shanks!

 

maybe, security at football is not all that wrong, given the fine balance that needs to be trodden to keep people safe v the melts who complain about it

 

 

Judging by the fact everyone is searched they’re certainly not particularly smart in the way they go about it so I’d suggest limited intelligence is used especially at run of the mill games like ours.

 

You’re right about football being a potential target. Let’s just hope that never happens and again it does need to be a fine balance.

[East Kent Saint]

but if it was known that children's bags would not be checked then obviously this would be used as a route to smuggle items into the ground. They are not saying the child is doing wrong but that an adult may take advantage of the situation.

[John Boy Saint]

What a weird thread and set of replies - no one has stated the build and stature of the lad. You go into the away end of a ground you know you are likely to be patted down and possibly wanded over. If you have an issue with a thirteen year old being patted down by a steward who hasn’t presented his CRB (or whatever it’s called) certificate - I would imagine that all stewards have to be checked as they are likely to be coming into contact with a minors. Your Tesco home delivery driver has to be certificated to deliver to your house not because they will be having your silver candlesticks away but because they may come into contact with children living in the house being delivered to. If you have an issue with a pat down from a steward, you could ask that a policeman be present (there is always one or 2 near the away turnstiles).

And those of you who alluding above, that all 13 year olds are God fearing little Angels incapable of naughtiness - pull your heads out of your backsides - please.

 

The fact that you know you are going to be patted down going into football is a deterrent of sorts. As for why it happens at all, football fans have a very old stain on them which is now more convenient to leave in place than remove.

 

I’m still amused by the lady steward at the City of London Stadium, who had removed my daughters SLR camera from her bag and was holding it up confused at what to do with it - I asked the supervising Steward were they being serious - to which he said to the Steward “its a camera - it’s not a problem” to which the Steward looked at the object in her hand in disbelief at what she had been told it was.

[Minsk]

For all those complaining about being searched going in to a football stadium in the UK - NEVER go to watch a match, or any other sporting event/concert in Belarus; it is the same type of security arrangement as you get when flying internationally (except they don't check everyone's passports - yet).

[richie]

Interesting set of replies.

 

I guess my issue is it's not intelligent lead, it's done by Joe blogs who's been on a couple of training courses and handed a hi vis at the weekend. The searches are always pointless. A quick pat down that achieves nothing - just box ticking. Finally if searching children has some merit to it what's any appropriate lower age limit?

 

I went to Wimbledon in the summer Huge security risk there but I wasn't searched.

 

Its snobbery in my opinion. The working classes must be up to no good.

[Turkish]

I tend to find that the best way round this is to put anything in you or your child’s pants. That way if either of you are searched and anything suspicious located before they extract it from your person you can immediately claim that you or your child are currently in the process of going through a gender reassignment programme, something you/they are finding highly traumatic, you are also going through intensive counselling to deal with and an accusation of “things” being mistake for trying to struggle contraband into a football stadium could Be highly traumatic, even possible suicide for people not respect our rights as transgender individuals. Either we can forget this sorry episode ever happened let us into the ground without a further mention or we can share your disgusting behaviour all over social media where you will immediately be crucified by outraged loony lefties as a vile human being who should be hung, this will go on for a least a week and receive over 21,000 retweets. You’ll be waving your flare around your head before anyone can say LBGT

[shurlock]

but if it was known that children's bags would not be checked then obviously this would be used as a route to smuggle items into the ground. They are not saying the child is doing wrong but that an adult may take advantage of the situation.

 

 

Children and coffin-dodgers are the best mules - great for attempting to bring alcohol to games.

[CB Fry]

I tend to find that the best way round this is to put anything in you or your child’s pants. That way if either of you are searched and anything suspicious located before they extract it from your person you can immediately claim that you or your child are currently in the process of going through a gender reassignment programme, something you/they are finding highly traumatic, you are also going through intensive counselling to deal with and an accusation of “things” being mistake for trying to struggle contraband into a football stadium could Be highly traumatic, even possible suicide for people not respect our rights as transgender individuals. Either we can forget this sorry episode ever happened let us into the ground without a further mention or we can share your disgusting behaviour all over social media where you will immediately be crucified by outraged loony lefties as a vile human being who should be hung, this will go on for a least a week and receive over 21,000 retweets. You’ll be waving your flare around your head before anyone can say LBGT

Wrap a pair of rainbow laces around the handle of your 8 inch blade and the filth can't touch you.

[eurosaint]

When you have adults in society who are willing to exploit innocent children then some leeway should be given to 'pat down' searches at matches IMHO !

https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-is-county-lines?gclid=EAIaIQobChMItsPt4Lr64wIVhrTtCh2-6AhvEAAYASAAEgLRgPD_BwE

I'm not suggesting that 'county lines' activity is present in football, just that there are many individuals who have no qualms about using kids for ulterior motives !

[John D]

Saw a group of lads using a 10 year old to smuggle a flare into the away end at Liverpool last year. That's why they search children.

[shurlock]

Saw a group of lads using a 10 year old to smuggle a flare into the away end at Liverpool last year. That's why they search children.

 

#yoof

[Faz]

stop the wailing. You should be thankful football does this in a low-level effort to keep you safe.

the fact cricket does not, is the ECBs issue.

 

do you waaaaaah at the airport?

 

Football does a fantastic job of keeping me safe from the hoards of middle class supporters at SMS. And I am grateful, there’s a couple of 70yo blokes near me who look well dangerous. I’m kept more safe as as these delinquent septuagenarians cant have access to their seats whilst supping a half pint of fizzy lager.

 

I’m not against security btw, more the fact I’m treated as a villain at football, but not at tennis, rugby or cricket.

[sadoldgit]

Interesting set of replies.

 

I guess my issue is it's not intelligent lead, it's done by Joe blogs who's been on a couple of training courses and handed a hi vis at the weekend. The searches are always pointless. A quick pat down that achieves nothing - just box ticking. Finally if searching children has some merit to it what's any appropriate lower age limit?

 

I went to Wimbledon in the summer Huge security risk there but I wasn't searched.

 

Its snobbery in my opinion. The working classes must be up to no good.

 

How many incidents of violence have there been in football matches against how many at tennis matches?

[St. Neil]

[saint97]

Can't believe this thread they're obviously checked in case they might be smuggling something in for older mates.

[sadoldgit]

The security checks have nothing to do with potential terrorist threats. Football matches have a long history of violence amongst rival supporters and it still goes on now. You don’t get that in tennis, cricket, rugby etc. I don’t see it has much to do with class. I knew a number of football hooligans in the 70’s and 80’s that would be described as ‘middle class.’ Is football still a ‘working class’ sport? How many so called blue collar workers can afford Premier club ticket prices week in week out? Unfortunately there is something about the game that still attracts mentally unstable people. A teenager is just as likely to get involved as older people. I don’t see a problem in the security checks.

[Faz]

How many incidents of violence have there been in football matches against how many at tennis matches?

 

Which is more likely to be subject to terrorism; Wimbledon, or Burnley v Saints

[hypochondriac]

I reckon the steward who searched your kid was a dirty peado who was looking to cop a feel.

[Faz]

The security checks have nothing to do with potential terrorist threats. Football matches have a long history of violence amongst rival supporters and it still goes on now. You don’t get that in tennis, cricket, rugby etc. I don’t see it has much to do with class. I knew a number of football hooligans in the 70’s and 80’s that would be described as ‘middle class.’ Is football still a ‘working class’ sport? How many so called blue collar workers can afford Premier club ticket prices week in week out? Unfortunately there is something about the game that still attracts mentally unstable people. A teenager is just as likely to get involved as older people. I don’t see a problem in the security checks.

 

Most, if not virtually all, inside the stadium violence has been eradicated by properly enforced segregation. I should be allowed to have a beer in my seat.

[sadoldgit]

Which is more likely to be subject to terrorism; Wimbledon, or Burnley v Saints

 

What has that got to do with ‘class.’ And as said, the checks at football have nothing to do with terrorism and everything to do with the history of violence at (and before and after) football matches.

[sadoldgit]

Most, if not virtually all, inside the stadium violence has been eradicated by properly enforced segregation. I should be allowed to have a beer in my seat.

 

It is still happening, albeit on a smaller scale.

[shurlock]

It is still happening, albeit on a smaller scale.

 

Hey soggy - does a bloke or woman search you when you enter the ground?

[John Boy Saint]

Hey soggy - does a bloke or woman search you when you enter the ground?

Don’t think he is allowed to answer that question on the grounds of gender neutrality. If he were then said Steward would have probable cause to seek counselling for being incorrectly gender identified, which in turn would result in stress and being signed off all work for 6 weeks.

[ALWAYS_SFC]

Hey soggy - does a bloke or woman search you when you enter the ground?

 

I doubt anyone wants to search you, all fat and sweat

Edited 11 August, 2019 by ALWAYS_SFC

[ALWAYS_SFC]

I reckon the steward who searched your kid was a dirty peado who was looking to cop a feel.

 

You are vile

[Fan The Flames]

 

That bloke is well known, he went blind drinking home made vodka but they let him keep his job.

[hypochondriac]

You are vile

An obvious joke you fanny. The steward is clearly just doing his job it's nothing personal. Edited 11 August, 2019 by hypochondriac

[ALWAYS_SFC]

An obvious joke you fanny. The steward is clearly just doing his job it's nothing personal.

 

There is nothing funny in suggesting someone is a paedophile, you are disgusting and the mods should sort you a ban

[whelk]

There is nothing funny in suggesting someone is a paedophile, you are disgusting and the mods should sort you a ban

 

Sensitive subject?

 

Mod mods mods

[Chris27687]

There is a data rights issue caused by betgenius which might have added to the need for security.