Do we have to drink so much at matches?
I NOTICE that a new law on the minimum price for alcohol has been introduced by the WAG and just wondered does this apply to the largest pub in Wales.
This has been called various names over the years viz Arms Park, National Stadium, Millennium Stadium, Principality Stadium, where large crowds used to gather to watch international matches between two teams, made up of eight forwards and seven backs – no alcohol being available in the stadium, apart from the odd hip flask.
Now the teams are made up of 23 interchangeable forwards and the main purpose of the assembled crowd is to get hopelessly drunk and spoil the occasion for the few real fans who want to watch the game, by endless trips to the bar and toilet and spilling alcohol over all and sundry.
I am in the very wrinkly stage and quite a number of my friends and colleagues, who have held debentures since they first came, no longer go to international matches because of the above, but still regularly support second, third and even fourth class rugby.
My son, who is reasonably fit, went to see the recent Wales v France game to actually watch the match, and during the match some 13-stone drunk fell on him, injuring his neck.
A young well-dressed lady
(no daffodil hat), very excited at attending her first international firstly had a pint spilled over her new handbag, and then a tray of drinks all over her. Her comment was: “I will never come here again”, much the same attitude of my son.
He called the WRU, mentioned the incident and asked to speak to the CEO, and was told that he does not take telephone calls, so he asked if they had a customer-care department. The answer was in the affirmative, but once more he was informed “they do not take calls, but write in”. Probably best by pigeon post, to suit the attitude.
What a sad prehistoric organisation the WRU is, which purports, quite wrongly of course, to represent “the national sport of Wales” because angling and football come way in front of this in terms of participants, without having to put up with totally legless supporters.
Of course they will not stop the practice of allowing alcohol into the”bowl”, as do most other sports, because they make too much money on it.
John Davies Bridgend