No admittance to football coaches

[Glenn A]

Do any of these signs still exist on motorway service station entrances, or has the huge improvement in behaviour by football fans over the last 20 years seen the end on this voluntary ban operated by most service stations in the 8os?

[PeterA5145]

You don't see it much now, but there used to be a very clearly-defined hierarchy amongst rural pubs on main roads:

"No coaches"

"Coaches welcome by appointment"

"Coaches welcome"

I suspect nowadays most rural pubs would welcome being descended on by a coach party.

[Glenn A]

Peter
I was watching Auf Wiedersehen Pet a few weeks ago when Oz discusses trashing a Little Chef with a group of Newcastle fans, possibly true in real life as Jimmy Nail did four months for football violence in 1978. I do recall that motorway services and transport cafes became very wary of football fans in the late 70s when these signs appeared.

[flyingscot]

I might be wrong, but football buses in Scotland are not permitted to stop at pubs
unless it is sold with meals even then you have to get permission!

You can't also take a carry out on the buses either- my solution would be to get a public bus and train!

Bizzarely though the rules also say that coaches have to arrive at the venue not later than one hour before the scheduled start of the game, unless otherwise directed by police. Put simply where do you think supporters go to kill an hour before a game? Pub!

[kieron]

Put simply where do you think supporters go to kill an hour before a game? Pub!

They may do, but the pubs clearly don't want them either, as they all have notices saying "No football colours."

[roadtester]

Are there as many football coaches as there used to be? Is that a part of it too?

[Mark Hewitt]

Are there as many football coaches as there used to be? Is that a part of it too?

Fabio Capello won't lose too much sleep about not being welcome at an MSA.

[Nicholas]

Would the ban extend to rugby fans, or fans going to any other (sporting) event?

[Queeg]

I might be wrong, but football buses in Scotland are not permitted to stop at pubs
unless it is sold with meals even then you have to get permission!

You can't also take a carry out on the buses either- my solution would be to get a public bus and train!

Bizzarely though the rules also say that coaches have to arrive at the venue not later than one hour before the scheduled start of the game, unless otherwise directed by police. Put simply where do you think supporters go to kill an hour before a game? Pub!

Aye, but you can't take a carry out on board a "Football Special" train I believe (that's if any still run??) due to it being used for the purposes of a "designated sporting event". Saying that, Scotrail have a few no-alcohol trains running on match days, booze is taken away by BTP at the bigger stations but I can't see how it's enforced if you board at a smaller station (eg Stonehaven for an Aberdeen-Glasgow train)

If my understanding of the law is correct, Scotland International Rugby matches also come under the banner of "designated sporting event"...