‘Beer snakes’ are an endangered species at cricket
LANCASHIRE BIDS TO GET FANS TO USE REUSABLE CUPS AT OLD TRAFFORD
IT’S become a common sight at cricket matches in the last few years.
But the ‘beer snake’ now looks to be critically endangered at Old Trafford – as Lancashire bids to get fans to use reusable cups.
For fans at England matches and big T20 fixtures such as the derby against Yorkshire, adding to beer snakes – huge chains of stacked plastic beer cups, sometimes spanning the entire length of the stand – has become a comic pastime during breaks in play. Some counties moved to ban them in the past, but they’ve remained a fixture at test matches held at Lancs.
However, this leaves the club with a big clean-up operation and many of cups end up in landfill.
The cricket club is set to welcome more than 65,000 supporters to showpiece games at its landmark ground this summer.
And it has announced it will be trailing the use of reusable, takehome cups to try to cut down on plastic waste and become more environmentally-friendly. The club estimates it uses around a quarter of a million single-use plastics, including beer cups, a year and says it is something it is ‘determined to change.’
Bosses say the cups, which will be available from all outdoor bars for a £1 deposit, will reduce waste but are also better for fans as they are sturdier and reduce spillages.
The deposit can be reclaimed, but cricket lovers will be encouraged to take home new cups, which will contain pictures of iconic moments and players from England and Lancashire’s past. Fans will be able to get their hands on Englandthemed cups at Old Trafford on Sunday, June 24, when the national side face Australia in the final of the series of five one-day internationals and at the T20 game against India on Tuesday, July 3.
There will also be a Lancashirethemed cup for all the Lightning’s home T20 matches, including against old adversary Yorkshire on Friday, July 20. Operations director at Lancashire Cricket Club, Anthony Mundy, said: “With major fixtures heading to Emirates Old Trafford, 2018 is the perfect opportunity to introduce the new cups. It’s also a great trial, before rolling the initiative out on a massive scale for the ICC World Cup and Ashes in 2019. This is a really community-focused project and the cups can be used by anyone with any drink.”