Fans 'ordered to show bras to stewards'

Published on: 21 August 2017

Simon Cooper - EMPICS/PA Images via Getty Images

Female football fans at a League Two match were asked to "lift their tops up to show their bras to female stewards" for security reasons, a supporters' group has claimed.

The Mariners Trust, which represents more than 3,000 Grimsby Town fans, wrote an open letter to Stevenage Borough following the fixture last Saturday, questioning the conduct of stewards at the Lamex Stadium and accusing them of "serious failings."

The letter alleged that female supporters had been subjected to a "gross invasion of privacy" and were asked to show their bras "in the queue in front of other supporters, including men and male stewards," on entry to the ground.

It is also alleged that supporters were asked by female stewards whether they could check their bras to confirm that they were underwired.

The letter read: "The supporters were made to feel uncomfortable and when they replied they would 'rather not' they were 'reluctantly' let in to the ground.

"This act would effectively constitute a sexual assault, and these types of searches are unlawful."

A Stevenage spokesperson told ESPN FC that the club were aware of the letter and would be investigating before making any further comment.

The Football League has also been contacted for comment.

The Mariners' Trust also claimed children as young as five were subjected to full body searches and that some supporters had items that were not on any banned list confiscated by stewards.

"We understand the need to keep supporters safe, but amongst the items taken include a tiny bottle of hand sanitiser [which is allowed by law onto an aeroplane], contact lens solution, cough sweets and medication," the letter said.

"This over-the-top approach unfortunately set the tone for the rest of the afternoon."

The letter also claimed there was a lack of washing facilities in a male toilet and that a female steward posted in a male toilet near the away stand had refused to move when asked to by Grimsby fans.

It concluded: "As outlined above, we believe there were a number of serious failings by your football club which need to be addressed as a matter of urgency, not just for any future visits by Grimsby Town fans, but also to ensure no other visiting team's supporters are treated as animals in the way your club did on Saturday."

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