Arsenal and Tottenham crackdown on ‘dangerous’ selfie sticks
Barclay’s Premier League football clubs Arsenal FC and Tottenham Hotspur have announced they will confiscate selfie sticks from fans trying to bring them into matches.
Selfie sticks have not been banned at London rival Chelsea's stadium
The extendable poles upon which mobiles can be clipped to for panoramic selfies have been barred from London venues Emirates Stadium and White Hart Lane on the grounds that they could be used as offensive weapons.
The bans came after a Tottenham fan complained about the device’s use in the football grounds. Twitter user @LiamCSWY tweeted an email from the North London side claiming that stewards have been briefed to disallow entry to anyone wielding a selfie stick.
It added that selfie sticks could be used as an offensive weapon. Additionally they have the potential to obscure the view of other match-goers.
Victory! pic.twitter.com/6qXPr1WGMe
— Liam (@LiamCSWY) January 7, 2015
Following this announcement, Arsenal FC followed suit, a club spokesman said: “The club's ground regulations prohibit any object that could be used as a weapon or could compromise public safety.”
The sticks were already banned from use during games but as a result of the new announcement will be blacklisted from the football grounds altogether.
The selfie sticks also serve as photography aids - tools which could help fans shoot better Vines of match highlights. An action which the Premier League has been cracking down of late to protect match broadcast rights.