A4 size bag only for UEFA matches

[leafinthewind]

Going to watch the Lionesses tonight! Hooray! But we're only allowed an A4 sized bag. I know why the bag policy is in place but...

1. it's anti-women, since women are less likely to have pockets and more likely to need to carry things (sanitary items etc)
2. it's anti-parent, because we inevitably end up with kids' stuff too. What am I going to do with the three pairs of sunglasses I'm sure to acquire?

Plus I've just measured a large selection of our bags and they are all two or three centimetres too wide! So it's not like I can hand a bag of sunglasses to a kid. Gah.

As a Southampton supporter I will tell you the seats are very compact and the bar area isn't massive either, so that might be why.

Wear something with pockets.

don’t allow children to take things like extra sunglasses unless willing to hold them themselves.

Seems to be normal now, I was at a stadium concert a couple of weeks ago and it was restricted to A5 sized bags. I saw them refuse someone’s bag which wasn’t very big at all, bonkers thing is if you bought merchandise inside say a T-shirt or sweatshirt they put it in a carrier bag which was obviously bigger than A5 sized bag so loads of people were wondering round with those bags. There was an exemption for medical needs though so I was allowed my special seat cushion in with me.

A purse, phone and set of keys will fit into a small bag. Give each of your dc a small bag (zip lock bag would do) for their sunglasses - not sure why they can't just wear them or hang them from the front of their tshirts.

YABU.
It's standard at Wembley and other stadia and people manage.

Enjoy the match though!

this is standard at many venues now.
In my exprience when you are in nobody challenges you. I always take a second foldable bag. Given things to everyone to carry in or wear. Once in take out second bag.
Large bags still not practical because of the space under seats but you can bend the rules a bit.
I do think its as much about forcing you to buy drinks etc inside the venues and not taking your own in, as it is about security.
At some venues that have introduced this rule, I’ve taken in a more reasonsble size bags

Or there have been serious attacks on large venues?
But no, your right the most important thing is it’s sexist because no way can you function as a woman without carrying 3 extra pairs of sunglasses for kids who will survive without them.

I've regularly watched rugby and cricket and it's so much easier than this. We're going to have shirts tied round our waists for when it cools off later, and I'll use a round-the-waist security bag for my card/phone. It's not impossible. Just annoying. And inevitably it's more annoying for women than men.

My husband sometimes takes my son and our baby daughter to the football, he manages just fine to stick to the bag rules and have everything he actually needs, including things for our baby.

Buy clothes with pockets. They do exist for women.
Give your children their own bag to carry.

There are so many things that are crap and distriminatory for women and mothers, this is really not one of them.

Clearly a true football fan wouldn't complain, eh? Probably right. I'm only going because the kids wanted to go. Everything at the moment seems one degree of difficulty more than I expected at first.

And inevitably it's more annoying for women than men

Please don't speak for all women on this. As you can see from the comments on this thread, there are sensible alternatives if you are willing to see them.

it's anti-women, since women are less likely to have pockets and more likely to need to carry things (sanitary items etc) wouldn't all the sanitary items fit in an a4 sized bag?

Surely an A4 bag is more than big enough for all the things you’ve listed? Tell your kids go put their sunglasses in their heads.

*to

Don't be silly. Anti women?? It's standard security
You kids can carry their own bags.
You are being ridiculous

Of course there are ways of managing it. I own some of those ways. It's just pissing me off because I can't pick up my 30cm x 25cm handbag which would be in nobody's way and go to the football - because it's 4cm too wide. I only have a sodding handbag in the first place because half my clothes don't have big enough pockets for my phone. (All DH's pockets are big enough, by the way, but he hates sport and crowds so I'm going instead.) The bag thing is small, but on top of the rest of the admin, it's pissed me off. And because it's football, I can't even have a beer at the ground!

Agree.

Y really are BU

I go to cricket and football and rugby.
I do take a larger bag to the cricket as I take my picnic - sometimes two meals - in with me, but you really don't need to take giant bags to other sports matches.
There is nothing discriminatory about this at all.

Rugby have tightend up to A4 too.

We go to various grounds every year and they now state A4. (Small ruck sack size)

Don't know why it's more annoying for women. Stuff just goes into the ruck sack.

I regularly go to rugby, been to plenty of games with a small bag only rule. Generally I wear Jeans and shove everything I need in the pockets.

Eh? How much crap do you carry around with you op? And what do you mean we are less likely to have pockets? Unless I’m in an evening gown my clothes have pockets. Lots of them, because I hate the faff of lugging a giant bag around.

Pockets in trousers for some tissues/sanitary items. Small bag for phone and purse. In future maybe get some fabric spectacle “chains” so the kids can keep their sunnies safe around their neck if they don’t want them on. Can’t your kids have a bag each too if you really need to take a ton of stuff with you? Or maybe take a little foldable shopping bag along for them to stick their stuff in if they take it off mid match. I’m guessing you’re one of those people who pack 20 pairs of underwear for a weekend away, just in case… 😬

It’s perfectly normal and not at all sexist.

I store my sanitary protection in my vagina. Very handy.

Restricting you to an a4 sized bag is really not anti-woman

It's not bonkers, surely you understand the difference between a bag you've purchased in the stadium and a bag you take in.