Mugged by the driver for sure.
Not illegal to take Alcohol but illegal to drink it.
No, the driver was right. Also, you cannot take any alcohol either.
Sorry to be anal about this but I have been mugging up on the law about this for reasons which I won't go into on here..
The use of transport to designated sporting events is covered by the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol) Act 1985, as amended by the Public Order Act 1986. With respect to booze it says that any PSV - Public Service Vehicle - (and also RSVs i.e. trains as well, as we know) used primarily for transport is not allowed to carry
any alcohol or even to have intoxicated persons on board to or
from the event. The driver and/or the drunk passenger are liable.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/57There is a load of other shit in there including the bits that deal with not being able to drink alcohol in sight of the pitch or being smashed at a game.
'Designated sporting events' are any Association Football match:
Association football matches in which one or both of the participating teams represents a club which is for the time being a member (whether a full or associate member) of the Football League, the Football Association Premier League, the Football Conference National Division, the Scottish Football League or Welsh Premier League, or represents a country or territory.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/3204/contents/made...hence why you can have a beer and watch friendlies against Supermarine.
What pisses me off though is an additional section in the Act:
Alcohol on certain other vehicles.
(1) This section applies to a motor vehicle which—
(a) is not a public service vehicle but is adapted to carry more than 8 passengers, and
(b) is being used for the principal purpose of carrying two or more passengers for the whole or part of a journey to or from a designated sporting event.
So this means it applies to any vehicle of nine seats or over, even if it is privately owned
This includes the carriage of alcohol, drunk passengers, blah blah blah. Well to be straight they can fuck right off. If I hire a minibus privately to go to an away match then this ain't gonna apply to me
Just a warning to others though...
Anyway, the legislation is inconsistent with reality anyway. What is the difference between getting on a FGW train for an away day and drinking and going on a footie special train? Or getting a public bus to the match and having a few tins? Load of old cock.