to think that carrying a small bottle of water should be a basic human right?

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I'm a football fan and I do understand that normal considerations given to human beings don't apply to us, due to the actions of a few, but really.

The Football, League have a rule that lids have to be removed from plastic bottles before you can enter the ground. You can take in a bottle without a lid, but not that easy when juggling children, tickets, bags etc.

Also, if I surrender my lid(s) at the gate, I have no portable drinks for the journey home (on away trips). There are 2 adults and 3 children in our party. To but everyone a drink at the ground is nearly £10, plus buying more on the way home and we only want tap water.

AIBU? And if not is there any point me writing a letter?

all ill say is you DONT get this issue at rugby or cricket

you make your own bed and lie in it

Well said to Tortilla, and Hecate, to Forlorn Hope, I could not agree more.

Quite.

I've never seen local shops have to close up and pull down the shutters cos there's a golf match on...

oh this is now a football fan bashing thread - cause all fans are the same aren't they

Dh learned this the first time he took ds to a footie match. Now they take cartons or capri suns

Yes, SEA. Cos that's exactly what I said in my first post.

I said all fans are yobs. Every one of them. That's exactly what I said.

Forlorn - How did i make that particular bed? I've never had so much as a parking ticket.

I could hid the lid, but that would be bending the rules and I'm a stickler for obeying rules

It's not just about the 90 min match though. If we've travelled 2-3 hours by train to get there, we have to travel back again witout a drink.

Tortilla, where can I refil the bottle? And how do you carry an open bottle carefully for 2 hours + ?

blimey wasn't just talking about your post. good lord

sarky

'If we've travelled 2-3 hours by train to get there, we have to travel back again witout a drink.'

Please tell me you are not serious.

Just take a load of spare lids in your pocket, that's what we do at football. Bring water from outside sans lid/buy water in ground, lid taken off by staff. Carry lidless bottle 20 yds out of sight of staff. Produce lid from pocket. Put on bottle. Bob's your uncle.

there's a tesco express on every street corner now, so it's not difficult to buy a drink if needed.

If it's just the Football League, maybe you should support a better different club? DH always take drinks for the DSs to their premiership ground. He himself drinks beer like a proper fan should

Chippy - I can't buy water. It's just not right when I (an lucky enough to be able to) get it from a tap. Dcs have been taught from a very young age that they are very lucky to get to go to the football and that there are to be no other extravagances on those days.

See, flowery, I'm really uncomfortable about hiding lids -surely that must be against the rules too. I do like to stick to the rules

Chippy - Proper fans don't support Premiership clubs

I'll tell DH that. He has supported the same club for the last 45 years, and only been in the top flight for the last 7 or so .

Buy fizzy pop instead of water!!

Then he'll know exactly what I mean Chippy.

I can't buy pop , it's full of sugar and the DC have had their treat for the day, going to football

Actually, if it's so easy (and generally accepted) to smuggle in lids separately to the bottles then surely the whole rule is pointless?

I accept the damage that can be caused (didn't know that was the reason, I was told it was to do with bodily fluids and sealed bottles being used as missiles), but small change isn't banned and neither are whacking great flag poles, drum sticks or umbrellas.

Some drivers cause terrible harm on the roads, but no-one suggests everyone should be banned from driving, just that the irresponsible drivers need to be properly dealt with. Why do law abiding football fans have to be treated the same as the thugs,? It doesn't happen in other walks of life.

God, I've hidden more lids than I care to remember. Concerts, football...

Ok, so that's what I'll do then, as it seems I won't be the only rule breaker, but it does prove the rule is pointless.

I should imagine that most people aren't organised enough to take spare lids. What annoys me is venues that ban bottles/alcohol etc and then sell it inside at vastly over-inflated prices.

I am not specifically aware of any written down rule saying "thou shalt not conceal bottle lids upon thy person", if that makes you feel any better? It's certainly not in the spirit of the lids off bottles rule I agree. My Dad was the one who told me to do that so I'm obviously the result of a corrupt upbringing...

Lots of rules are pointless and can easily be got round. I make my peace with it by knowing that I am a responsible person and will not be chucking my bottle at the away bench.

I'm fairly sure.

Ish.

Depends who's playing.

I heard it was less to do with the lobbing of bottles/ lids and more to do with bottles with lids on not crushing under your feet so you roll and slip on them. Much safer to have bottles with no lids apparently.

This always happens to us at concerts at Wembley/the O2 etc. We take the lids off and hide in our pockets, do it every time and has never been an issue as they don't check your bag again!

taps in toilets are usually drinking water unless they say otherwise in which case they usually have water fountains avaiable. isn't it the law to have potable water available at stadiums, arenas etc.?

i'm not expecting you to carry it full for 2 hours, you loon :) you fill it, drink it and then refill it as and if you need another drink. i'm not sure you'd need more than 2 drinks in 90 mins would you? i know i don't drink that often at home. you don't need to keep sipping for 2 solid hours, unless it is 90C heat which it usually isn't in football season.

I don't know, it was really hot stilling in the sun last weekend, but not a regular occurance at football!

I've never seen a drinking fountain at a game and some of the toilets in lower league ground you don't want to set foot in let alone take your drinking bottle with you.

It's not so much not having a drink in the ground anyway, it's been forced to buy one for the way home, as if I've surrendered the lid, I can't transport it easily on the journery home.

I am a bit of a water freak though and do have my 2-3 litres a day (really does make the world of difference to your skin )

Re buying drinks inside, I told them on the door of a concert that I was pg (I was at the time) and the only thing stopping me being sick was the bottle of oasis that I had (true) and they waved me through. Always mean to try that again...