Skip to main content

Manchester United bans fans from taking laptops, tablets, and maybe some smartphones to home games

samsung galaxy note 3 front screen
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Manchester United, one of the most successful and popular sports clubs in the world, announced that it is barring people attending the team’s games from taking laptops, tablets, and possibly some smartphones into Old Trafford Stadium, which is where the squad plays its home contests.

Manchester United made the announcement in this official blog post.

Related: Sony Xperia Z vs. Samsung Galaxy Mega vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 3 vs. HTC One Max

In the post, Manchester United said that team officials made the decision to ban fans from taking laptops and tablets to games in reaction to “the latest security intelligence.”

“These actions are designed to ensure the continued safety and security of all spectators,” the club said.

Related: Huawei Mediapad X1 vs. Asus Fonepad 7 2014 vs. Acer Iconia Tab 7

The maximum “permitted” device size is 150x100mm, or 5.9×3.9 inches. That means that even smallish tablets like the iPad Air, Kindle Fire, and Google Nexus slates would be subject to the ban.

What Manchester United may not have realized is that, because of their device size restrictions, they might have also unknowingly banned some smartphones from their arena as well. Smartphones that could violate Man U’s device size rules include the Nokia Lumia 1520, Asus FonePad 7, Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Note 4, HTC One Max, Huawei MediaPad X1, Acer Iconia Tab 7, and the Huawei Ascend Mate 2.

Other phones that might be brushing up against Manchester United’s size requirements include the OnePlus One, Gionee Elife S5.5, and the LG G3. Phones that are 5.5 inches high not counting the bezel include the LG G Pro 2, Galaxy Mega, and the Sony Xperia Z Ultra, Be sure to keep all of this in mind if you plan to attend Man U games at Old Trafford and you own one of these phones.

However, we can’t say for certain whether these devices will be banned for sure, because there are some that exceed 5.9 inches in height (counting the display and the bezel, but may come in under 3.9 inches in width. So how would stadium officials rule in cases like that? At this point, it’s uncertain. We also don’t know whether they’re measuring height in a straight line, or diagonally.

We reached out to the English Premier League, as well as UEFA, which is the body that governs European soccer, for more information. We also want to find out whether other teams are planning to adopt similar security measures for their own stadiums.

If and when we obtain more information about this, we’ll update this article accordingly. Either way, people planning to attend Manchester United’s home games won’t have to wait long to find out how the team’s security staff will approach phablets, because the season starts Saturday, August 16.

Konrad Krawczyk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Konrad covers desktops, laptops, tablets, sports tech and subjects in between for Digital Trends. Prior to joining DT, he…
Save $400 on this Dell PC with an RTX 4070, 32GB of RAM, 1TB SSD
The Dell XPS desktop on a table.

If you're willing to spend on desktop computer deals for a machine that will offer flagship performance for all of your needs, it's highly recommended that you go with the Dell XPS Desktop 8960. This certain configuration that's on sale from Dell will let you enjoy savings of $400 on its original price of $2,250, so you'll have to pay $1,850 -- it's still not cheap, but it's going to be worth every single penny at this discounted price. You're going to have to be quick though -- this is a clearance sale, so there's no telling when the offer expires and when stocks will run out.

Why you should buy the Dell XPS Desktop 8960
The Dell XPS Desktop 8960 isn't just an excellent PC -- it's our top pick among the best desktop computers for its flexibility to accommodate almost any budget and purpose. This particular model of the PC features the 13th-generation Intel Core i9 processor, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, and 32GB of RAM, which will make it more than enough to tackle even the most demanding tasks, while also offering high-end gaming potential to play the best PC games for whenever you need to take a break from work.

Read more
Best color laser printers for 2024: tested and reviewed
A Brother printer on a counter in front of a brick wall.

The best color laser printers can be a great investment, saving you quite a bit of time and money. For shoppers worried about the long-term ink costs, you'll find color laser printers surprisingly affordable. Laser printers use toner, which lasts a very long time, delivering a low cost per page for monochrome documents and fast color prints. The best color laser printers offer quick performance and reliability to help keep your home office or small business productive.

If you need to scan documents for record-keeping and photo capture or want the convenience of a color copier, an all-in-one color laser printer is an essential tool for your small business or personal use. For a small added cost, you get expanded capabilities. That's why every model on this list is an all-in-one from the best printer brands.

Read more
The 5 best Wi-Fi adapters for PC in 2024
The Ugreen AC1300 Wi-Fi adapter in a desktop PC.

Whether you're designing it yourself or getting a pre-built PC, it can be easy to get a computer and realize that it doesn't have a native Wi-Fi adapter. Or, maybe it does, but you're internet speeds are getting faster, game downloads are getting bigger, you've already upgraded your router and need an adapter to match your newfound power requirements. No matter the situation, an external Wi-Fi adapter that you can add to your PC setup or even laptop setup will be worth your time. Here, we investigate the best Wi-Fi adapters for PC use. Most are incredibly affordable and just snap into a free USB port and start working.
The best Wi-Fi adapter for PC in 2024

Buy the

Read more