Where Not To Eat: Premiership Edition

By: The Offside | January 14th, 2013

calciopoli

You know, in a week in which the prices of Premiership tickets have been discussed with disgust, this isn’t really helping. A report on the state of ‘hygiene’ in football stadiums across the Prem was released and it ain’t pretty. Some of it’s even ratty.

And don’t eat the turkey at Stamford Bridge.

An inspection of Manchester United’s stadium revealed “mouse activity” which the club were advised to monitor, alongside a broken tap and flaking pipework, according to a report by fcbusiness. In response to the report, available through a Freedom of Information request, Manchester United said they had a “robust pest control system”.

Meanwhile Reading risked getting entangled in a mess after food inspectors found cobwebs and dead insects in a drinks area.

The inspectors uncovered a host dubious hygiene practises in a number of other Premier League grounds, with Swansea criticised for serving pink chicken, leaving open a packet of ham in a kitchen and letting pate go off.

Chelsea were warned about a serious contravention of hygiene laws when they nearly served out of date “cooked turkey saddles”. Poor labelling of meat pies earned the Stamford Bridge club a further reprimand, though a later inspection noted that their hygiene standards had improved to become generally excellent. Fulham were ticked off about bread rolls being left under a wash basin, a rusty pair of scissors and a hole in the wall that might give access to pests.

Fortunately the one club of much outrage (when Manchester City won’t pay your prices, well…), Arsenal, came away with a clean report card along with a few others.

Apparently cleanliness just ain’t cheap.