For those coming on the coach to Lincoln on Saturday (and indeed other away trips this year) you need to be aware of the following.
It has been law for sometime that consuming alcohol on football coaches is not allowed. In the past some coach operators have turned a blind eye at this and allowed fans to drink (despite the law). The authorities, police and coach operators are all now tightening up on this to make sure it is enforced. There are quite a lot of stories online where coaches carrying football supporters are being stopped and searched.
The problem is that if alcohol is found on the vehicle then the coach is turned around and all the passengers sent home, so everyone misses the game! Operators are fined heavily and so too are the people who hired the vehicle (which is us the supporters). Beyond that if we are seen to break the law then the coach operator will not carry us to future games and chances are as word spreads none of the local operators will carry us!
So as a reminder please do not try and take alcohol on to the supporters coach. Anyone found with alcohol will not be allowed on and worse still if alcohol is found on the journey or at the other end then the passenger risks being left in Lincoln or along the route.
Chad/Neil and myself who have set-up the coach travel certainly don’t want to appear killjoys nor do we want to have to get involved in sorting out any problems, therefore please don’t carry alcohol on board.
To get around the problem and work around the laws we are leaving at 10.00am (allowing an early breakfast in the Penny for those that want a drink first), we will be arriving at 1.15ish (which allows 90 minutes to drink before the game), there is half-time plus we will not return back until 5.30pm (allowing another 45 minutes to drink after the match). On top of all that we should be home by 8.30pm and you can got out to get lashed and celebrate our 3 points (fingers crossed). One other point though, don’t get too drunk as you can be refused carriage for this reason!!!
I don’t particularly like been the one to pass on the rules (I would rather get p****d) but if we have any problems we simply will not run further away coaches for the season.
Thanks
Rabbit
Carriage of passengers to designated Sporting Events Voluntary Guidelines - England and Wales
PSV operators are reminded of the terms of Section 1 (1) of the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol) Act 1985, as amended by the Public Order Act 1986, which prohibits the carriage of alcohol on a PSV that is being used for the principal purpose of carrying passengers for the whole or part of a journey to or from a designated sporting event.
A “designated sporting event” generally means any association football match, whether national or international. The full legal definition of “designated sporting events” may be found in The Sports Grounds and Sporting Events (Designation Order) 1985, as amended by SI 1520/1987.
It is an offence for an operator of a PSV (or his servant or agent) knowingly to cause or permit the carriage of alcohol on journeys to which these Regulations apply.
In addition to these statutory provisions, the police have asked that operators comply with the following guidelines when conveying passengers to such sporting events:
a. Coach operators taking bookings from groups of supporters are to notify the police liaison officer at the destination, at least 48 hours before the event, of the number of supporters expected to travel and the number of coaches booked.
b. Coaches are not to stop within 10 miles of the venue either en route to or on departure from the event unless prior agreement is obtained from the local police liaison officer.
c. Unless directed otherwise by a police officer, coaches may stop at premises where intoxicating liquor is sold only if it is sold ancillary to a substantial meal. Prior agreement for meal stops where alcohol is available should be sought from the operator’s local police liaison officer.
d. Coaches are to arrive at the venue no earlier than two hours before and not later than one hour before the scheduled start of the game, unless otherwise directed by police.
e. Coaches are not to set down or uplift passengers at any unauthorised locations without prior permission of the police.
f. Coaches must leave the venue within one hour of the finish of the event.
g. Intoxicating liquor must not be carried on coaches travelling to or from designated grounds. Operators will draw hirers’ attention to the requirements of the law, and drivers shall, as far as reasonably practical, supervise boarding passengers and check that they are not obviously carrying intoxicating alcohol. Drivers will not be expected to carry out baggage or body searches, nor will they be expected to confiscate alcohol or to remove passengers without police assistance.
Operators are asked to comply with these guidelines on a voluntary basis. However if the police inform the Traffic Commissioner of any failure on an operator’s part to comply with them the Commissioner will consider applying them as a formal condition to that operator’s licence under the authority of Section 16(3) of the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981.”