Sheffield Wednesday fans 'made to feel like criminals' over supermarket booze ban

A Sheffield Wednesday fan has criticised Sainsbury's staff for refusing to serve her husband alcohol because he was wearing a hat in the club's colours.
Helen Barry and her husband Adam, wearing the offending hatHelen Barry and her husband Adam, wearing the offending hat
Helen Barry and her husband Adam, wearing the offending hat

Helen Barry says she and her husband Adam were 'made to feel like criminals' when they visited the grocery giant's Wadsley Bridge superstore after watching the Owls lose to Aston Villa at Hillsborough.

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Helen and Adam with their six-year-old son FlynnHelen and Adam with their six-year-old son Flynn
Helen and Adam with their six-year-old son Flynn

While she went to buy some wraps for that night's dinner, he picked up a few beers.

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Workers advised him this was due to a temporary match day policy not to serve alcohol to fans in club colours, which had been introduced following police guidance.

Adam in the snowAdam in the snow
Adam in the snow

After a lengthy dispute, she says staff called in police from outside.

She was eventually allowed to pay for the beer herself, but has criticised her family's treatment that evening.

"There were Villa fans buying crates of Budweiser and bottles of Jägermeister but they wouldn't serve my husband a few cans of beer to drink at home because he was wearing a hat which had nothing to do with football," she said.

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"I just feel they could have shown a bit of common sense. If they'd have asked my husband to remove his hat or told him that I could buy the beer instead there would have been no problem.

Helen and Adam with their six-year-old son FlynnHelen and Adam with their six-year-old son Flynn
Helen and Adam with their six-year-old son Flynn

"Instead, we were made to feel like criminals."

A spokesman for Sainsbury’s said, "We're contacting Helen to apologise for any disappointment we may have caused. This was a temporary policy we introduced to comply with a local police request."