Sports Techy RSS Feed
Sports Techy on Facebook
Sports Techy on Twitter
| More

Sports Facilities Technology

What Should You Not Take to Old Trafford?

August 13, 2014

(SPORTS TECHNOLOGY)

Manchester United Football Club is one of the most successful English professional soccer clubs. It has been in existence since 1878, and is considered to be one of the most widely supported soccer teams in the world. Recently, this club announced that it would be banning users from bringing certain devices to watch its games in the Old Trafford stadium. The banned devices include i-Pads, large cameras and other large electronic devices. Besides these devices, fans were not allowed to bring large bags, large bottles of liquid with the exception of a small bottle of water with its lid removed, canned drinks, glass bottles, drinking glasses, flasks, darts, knives, weapons, strollers, umbrellas, flags, poles, sticks, tools, radios, smoke canisters, fireworks, flares and dark plastic bottles.


This ban was circulated among supporters through email before the friendly match with Valencia that took place on August 12, 2014.  This ban on devices by Manchester United is aimed to prevent viewers from recording games that could violate its copyrights, though it can also be to prevent viewers from blocking the view of other supporters with their large devices. However, the ban is likely to cause much inconvenience to viewers who come to simply enjoy the game and not record it. There is always a possibility for users to bring their tablets to entertain their kids while the parents watch the game or people could come directly from work or some people may even travel over the weekend to watch Manchester United players in action. For these people, the recent ban can be a nuisance, and it can even keep them away.

It will be interesting to see whether other football clubs in Europe will follow suit or if Manchester United will be forced to ease on its ban due to pressure from supporters. 




Edited by Adam Brandt