Sunday Matches

[Geoff]

In my distant memory I seem to remember that when you paid to enter, you were given a programme/teamsheet. This was because it wasn't legal to pay to watch a sporting event on a Sunday, so you actually paid for the programme and watched the game for free.
Is there any fact in the above or am I going a bit soft.

Geoff

[vikinggriff]

In my distant memory I seem to remember that when you paid to enter, you were given a programme/teamsheet. This was because it wasn't legal to pay to watch a sporting event on a Sunday, so you actually paid for the programme and watched the game for free.
Is there any fact in the above or am I going a bit soft.

Geoff

i don't know if its fact or urban myth, but its one i've certainly heard before

[pastplayer]

In my distant memory I seem to remember that when you paid to enter, you were given a programme/teamsheet. This was because it wasn't legal to pay to watch a sporting event on a Sunday, so you actually paid for the programme and watched the game for free.
Is there any fact in the above or am I going a bit soft.

Geoff

No you're not going a bit soft Geoff, I think it was back in the early seventies when we started to play some games on a Sunday that you actually paid for the programme instead paying an entrance fee, not sure if it was sometjhing to do with the same law about shops not being able to trade on Sundays.

[prehensile]

I think some clubs took it more seriously than others.  As far as I can remember, at Widnes you were given a teamsheet going through the turnstile which was marked with a price of 7/6d, or whatever the admission was in those days.  The official programme was sold separately for the usual price - 6d ?  The practice gradually faded away as playing on Sundays became more and more common.

There's something else I remember about those days : it seemed to be commonly accepted that there had to be a free turnstile available for people who objected to paying to watch a match on the Sabbath - although presumably they were able to overcome their 'religious beliefs' and watch the game for free 

The story was that the 'free' turnstile at Widnes was one of the ones at the end of Naughton Road but it was not advertised in any way, nor easily distinguishable from the 'normal' turnstiles.

I suspect 'free' turnstile was probably an urban myth but one thing which I'm sure did happen briefly in the early days of more widespread Sunday trading was the practice of certain stores to sell bananas for £50 or £100 and give away a free sofa with each banana.  Reason being that the arcane Sunday trading laws of the time allowed the sale of certain products (eg bananas) but forbade others (eg furniture).

[Paul D]

Another thing they used to do was open the gates with 20 minutes to go so passers by could get in and watch the last 20 mins for free.  I think it was something to do with some obscure Sunday trading law.

[prehensile]

I don't think that was just a Sunday thing though - I can remember getting in as a kid to watch the last 15-20 mins in the early 60s on occasions when I didn't want to pay to get in because I was skint or Widnes were rubbish or both !!

[mick george]

They also gave out team sheets for Fridays A team games

[Mr Black77]

I don't think that was just a Sunday thing though - I can remember getting in as a kid to watch the last 15-20 mins in the early 60s on occasions when I didn't want to pay to get in because I was skint or Widnes were rubbish or both !!

Why didn't you do what i did for the whole of my younger years and sneak in.It was a piece of cake,and  i watched some great teams all for buck she.

[prehensile]

Why didn't you do what i did for the whole of my younger years and sneak in.It was a piece of cake,and  i watched some great teams all for buck she.

 

[scooby]

The story was that the 'free' turnstile at Widnes was one of the ones at the end of Naughton Road but it was not advertised in any way, nor easily distinguishable from the 'normal' turnstiles.

I suspect 'free' turnstile was probably an urban myth

1) Not true as I actually lived in Naughton Road and obviously that was my point of entry.

2) I agree, it was an urban myth.

[Peter]

Why didn't you do what i did for the whole of my younger years and sneak in.It was a piece of cake,and  i watched some great teams all for buck she.

I used to save up during the summer for a Season Ticket. Schoolboy season tickets --- all home games - was a massive 4/-  Cup Games were entered via Farrell"s Yard on to the top of the boys stand and then climbing down.

[RB]

The story was that the 'free' turnstile at Widnes was one of the ones at the end of Naughton Road but it was not advertised in any way, nor easily distinguishable from the 'normal' turnstiles.

I suspect 'free' turnstile was probably an urban myth but one thing which I'm sure did happen briefly in the early days of more widespread Sunday trading was the practice of certain stores to sell bananas for £50 or £100 and give away a free sofa with each banana.  Reason being that the arcane Sunday trading laws of the time allowed the sale of certain products (eg bananas) but forbade others (eg furniture).

I'm not sure about at Widnes.
I think it depended on the licencing authority.
I was told by a friend who became a policeman in London that they had to have one at Wembley 20 odd years ago for Sunday Matches.
He reckoned he was on it one day I think for the Everton vs Liverppol League Cup Final. He said he was telling people but nobody believed him and just told him to go away.

[Peter]

Another thing they used to do was open the gates with 20 minutes to go so passers by could get in and watch the last 20 mins for free.  I think it was something to do with some obscure Sunday trading law.

The Sunday Trading Laws were a mess. For instance, a greengrocer could open but a Furniture Store could not. In 1971 I bought two carrots from DFS in Darley Dale for £112, and got two very nice G Plan Lounge Units [still in use] absolutely free!