A Northumberland woman said she was shocked to be turned away from a Newcastle City Centre bar over her NUFC T-shirt.
Sue Dearne, 64, branded a blanket policy, banning anyone wearing football team designs from Barluga, on Grey Street, 'ridiculous', after she was refused entry. The lifelong Newcastle United supporter said she even offered to cover up the offending top with a cardigan - but she said she was told that wasn't good enough.
A spokesperson for the Vaulkhard Group, which owns the bar, told ChronicleLive it is a policy that has been in place at the venue for 20 years and is there to 'ensure the environment for all customers is maintained.'
Sue, who lives near Amble, Northumberland, had watched the Magpies' clash with Liverpool at St James' Park on Saturday with her brother-in-law. Afterwards she was looking forward to enjoying a quick catch-up with her sister Helen before the couple returned to their home in West Yorkshire.
Read more: NUFC Women thrilled by support from Ant & Dec after historic win
Sue said: "We met her at Grey's Monument and I said 'it will be lovely, we'll go to Barluga'. I often meet friends there for lunch or a coffee, they have a nice terrace and I thought it would be quiet with a nice ambience and we could have a catch-up.
"When we arrived there were two bouncers on the door. One of them said 'you can't come in' so I said 'oh, ok, you're full'. He said 'no, it's because of the top you're wearing'."
She said the bouncer had explained it was company policy not to allow anyone in wearing a football shirt or colours. When she explained the situation to her sister, Helen offered her a cardigan to cover the top-up - but Sue claims the bouncer refused to let her in with it off because, he said, 'she would just take it off once she got inside'.
Sue, who regularly attends Newcastle's home matches, said she had 'never known anything like it'. She said she wasn't doing anything to suggest she'd behave badly once she got it - the only issue was her T-shirt.
She added: "I was incensed because it was so ridiculous. I just thought, where has the common sense gone?
"It was about 2.45 in the afternoon - the bounced mentioned that my top would upset the other people's dining experience, but it's not as if it was an evening where people were all nicely dressed for dinner. Anyway, I didn't feel scruffy, I liked my t-shirt.
"I just think common sense should have prevailed, and to say that I was going to take the cardigan off when I got in, I was quite offended. I was shocked, especially in my home city. I just thought 'I'm not going to Barluga again, I will spend my money elsewhere'.
What do you think of the policy? Share your thoughts in the comments below
A spokesperson for the Vaulkhard Group which runs the bar said: "Barluga has been in our ownership for 20 years and this policy has always been in place, along with other entry, booking and house rules within the venue.
"A policy is never implemented to cause upset to an individual, but to ensure the environment for all customers is maintained. I believe that our standards have served us and our guests well and we have a venue that is held in high regard by our customers our staff and the authorities.”
Read next:
