I paid £130 for a pitch view room at Blackpool FC hotel but was told to keep my curtains shut during match
A guest who paid £130 for a pitch view room at Blackpool FC’s hotel on matchday was left puzzled by a note in his room instructing him to keep the curtains closed during the game.
Social media star Darren Dowling, 29, was initially impressed with the panoramic views of the pitch from the former executive boxes which were converted into rooms at Bloomfield Road.
But after checking in to his Executive Pitch View Room, Darren was surprised to find a note from the hotel’s management telling him the curtains must be kept shut during the entire match - from an hour before kick-off until the final whistle.
The notice said: “Please be aware that there is a football match scheduled for this afternoon/evening.
“We ask that in the Executive Pitch View Rooms the curtains must be closed an hour prior to kick off, until full time. This is to comply with EFL and FA rules.”
“It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” said Daz, from Glasgow, who shared footage from his stay on TikTok.
“I’m really curious to see whether a chap is going to come to my door and tell me to shut my curtains. I’m going to tell him no!”
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Daz and his mate Dave flouted the warning and still watched the Seasiders fixture against Bolton Wanderers, which finished 1-1.
Why must the curtains be kept closed?
The curtains rule is due to the Sporting Events Act 1985, which prohibits the drinking of alcohol in view of the pitch at football matches.
A former member of staff at the hotel confirmed the rule and said the club had ‘spotters’ watching for guests who flouted it, warning they could be penalised if they’re caught peeking out of the floor-to-ceiling windows.
He said: “It’s true that people who book a pitch view room are not allowed to watch a game from the room. It's all to do with EFL regulations about watching football and alcohol. The curtains have to be drawn.
“Even the main hospitality suite has to pull the blinds down, and guests have to watch from the seats on the balcony. The only way to legally watch from a room would be if the occupants sat in the seats outside, which would require a steward.
“The 3rd floor rooms were used as extra executive boxes a few years ago. Obviously, people in those pitch view rooms will peek through the curtains but the hotel staff and the stewards have to make every effort to prevent that as the club is responsible for policing this particular regulation.”
Darren, popular for his deep-fried food vlogs on TikTok, also appeared in Series 46 of the hit TV show ‘Come Dine With Me’. You can follow him here.