AN ELDERLY couple were left “fuming” on Sunday after being told they could not watch a cricket match unless they surrendered their spoons.
Carol Russell, 70 and her husband Mike, 72, from Stockport had visited North Wales to enjoy a cricket match between Glamorgan Dragons and Lancashire Lightning at Colwyn Bay Cricket Club in Rhos on Sea.
But when the couple attempted to enter the grounds they were told they had to go through security checks first.
Mrs Russell said: “A woman there asked to search my bag and she brought out these two spoons which we were going to use for our strawberries and cream. She said “You can’t take these in’. I said ‘Why not?’. She said ‘Because they’re metal.’ I said ‘I’ve got a stainless steel flask - that’s metal’. She put her hand in again and found two jars - one with tea.
“She would have let us in but I would have had to leave it all behind. I have taken cutlery to Lords and every cricket ground in the country. If it had been a knife and fork there would be some understanding. I was fuming.”
Mr and Mrs Russell had visited Colwyn Bay Cricket Club on other occasions but had never had problems bringing in spoons before.
Mrs Russell added: “It’s a little friendly ground. It's not like the Lords finals or anything with thousands of people. I was absolutely incensed. I thought I’m not paying £15 to come in and not have my picnic. We’re not a pair of hoodies, we're grandparents.”
Committee member for Colwyn Bay Cricket Club, Tom Birchall, described the security checks as “completely overboard” and confirmed many cricket fans had been complaining about having items taken off them.
He said: “Every single person was being searched and having things taken off them, and at the end of the day they were all thrown away.
“This is not just happening here; it’s throughout the country. Currently in South Wales you might get problems - you get the football crowds in and there might be a bit of trouble. Sadly the same security happens here and it affects nice older people who want to enjoy their day.
"It’s ridiculous but we can’t do anything about it.”
A spokeswoman for Glamorgan Cricket said the searches carried out were in line with England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) guidelines.
She added: “Metal cutlery is not allowed into any grounds under any circumstances. The stewards explained this to the couple who decided they did not want to enter, which is a shame.”
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