No more tablet selfies at ground, says Man Utd

12 Aug 2014

Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England. Image via Wikimedia Commons

In what will either be considered prohibitive or a blessing by football supporters, Manchester United has banned fans from using tablets to take endless photos of themselves at the stadium.

The ban, detailed on Manchester United’s official website, includes all large electronic devices, particularly laptops and tablets, and comes “as a result of the latest security advice”.

With almost all devices having a camera installed these days, tablets have become just as popular as smartphones for taking photos, none more so than at football grounds, where fans, particularly those who follow Manchester United, more than likely have travelled from all over the globe to see the team play in person and would inevitably seek a photo of themselves at the ground.

The growth in the number of tablets at grounds has proven an annoyance for the more die-hard fans who feel the devices obscure other spectators’ view, especially if they are taking multiple photos.

In terms of the dimensions, the club has banned any device from entering Old Trafford stadium that is the same size or above 150mm x 100mm, which follows similar guidelines to existing airport security terminals where devices over this size are required to be put through x-ray scanners separately from other luggage.

While this would include some of the more popular devices, including the iPad mini range, smartphones or phablets will still be permitted into the stadium.

This is not the first time a sports club has banned tablets and laptops from its stadia. The Verge reported the New York Yankees banned such equipment in 2010 but reversed this decision in 2012.

Colm Gorey was a senior journalist with Silicon Republic

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