An amateur football team has hit back at Wetherspoons staff for reporting them to police for breaking Tier 2 Covid rules after ‘taking their money and letting them drink outside’.
Josh Robertson, 26, said he was among the players fined for gathering at The Wouldhave in South Shields after a match on Sunday.
They were mid-pint when a concerned staff member challenged them, only to be told by the men they were from the same household, police said.
The worker then called police to report a breach of the coronavirus regulations and officers issued the group with fines.
Mr Robertson, a painter, has rejected the version of events given by Northumbria Police, claiming the team never said they lived in the same house.
Josh Robertson (centre) said he was among those caught as his side drank at The Wouldhave Wetherspoon in South Shields after a match on Sunday. It is not clear if the two men pictured with him were also there
They were mid-pint when a concerned staff member at the pub (pictured) challenged them, only to be told by the men they were from the same household
He wrote: ‘We didn’t get challenged or anything no-one said anything and no-one said we all lived together. What we gonna say we all lived in the big brother house like?
‘We went in and were told to sit on tables of four which we did and eight of them were outside in the beer garden when the fines were issued.
‘If they were at risk of getting a fine why didn’t they tell us to leave or refuse entry before letting us sit there and order drinks before phoning the police.’
He added: ‘But I forgot ya can only get the disease in a pub and not on a football pitch where 22 people are playing a contact sport.’
Mr Robertson (right), 26, has rejected the story told by Northumbria Police and the pub, claiming the group never said they lived in the same house. It is not clear if the other man pictured was at the meet up
South Tyneside is currently under Tier 2 restrictions meaning residents cannot socialise with people from other households in any indoor setting.
Meeting in larger groups is against the law, although there are certain exceptions to the rule.
The police can take action against people if they meet up, which includes breaking up illegal gatherings and issuing fixed penalty notice fines.
Culprits can be fined £200 for the first offence, doubling for further offences up to a maximum of £6,400.
If people hold, or are involved in holding, an illegal gathering of over 30 people, the police can issue fines of £10,000.
Social media users slammed Mr Robertson under a police Facebook post on Wednesday.
One wrote: ‘Suck it up. Because the sport you love will.be closed again if cases don’t start going down.
Another added: ‘Stick to the rules!! COVID spreader.’
Chief superintendent Janice Hutton, of Northumbria Police, said: ‘This group showed a flagrant disregard for the rules which are in place to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
‘Actions like this undermine the efforts being made by the majority of others in order to protect themselves, their family, friends and wider communities.
‘We will continue to work closely with our communities and offer advice to people who have mistakenly broken the restrictions.
‘However, as we have made clear, where individuals are choosing to ignore the measures in place, we are committed to taking enforcement action to protect our communities.’
Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said: ‘ The group had entered the pub and sat down at four separate tables. They then ordered food and drink using the pub’s app.
‘Staff check that customers have signed in (track and trace) and whether they are from the same household when they bring food and drink orders to the table or when they do table service.
‘When the drinks were brought to the tables a member of staff noticed that members of the group all had the same football shirt on (having taken off their jackets) and asked if they were from the same household.
‘They said they were but the member of staff didn’t believe them and told them that the police would be called and if the police came they would be fined.
‘The members of the group chose to stay. The police then came and dealt with the matter.’