Protecting exclusivity in sports data rights: are courtsiding spotters a step too far for UK football fans?
![Courtsiding Football Courtsiding Football](https://www.lawinsport.com/media/zoo/images/courtsiding_football_ed440a8a837aeaa321caac4c2ee9d205.jpg)
Unless you are a fan of either team, Hull City’s early season home Championship fixture against Reading probably passed you by. The game itself was unremarkable.
It will be a match though that a Hull season ticket holder, Daniel Mawer, will remember for a while. During half-time, Daniel was texting his girlfriend, partly to pass comment on Hull striker Tom Eaves’ new summer haircut. As he did so, he was approached by unmarked stadium security and warned to stop texting, failing which he would be ejected from the ground1.
Mr Mawer was naturally bewildered and took to Twitter2 to complain. After all, texting your friends and family during a football match is about as commonplace now as a half-time pie and Bovril.
The Tweet thread was shared by Gary Lineker (who declared the situation “nuts”) and was commented upon widely within the football fan community. The EFL and Hull City eventually issued apologies to Mr Mawer and the matter seems to have been resolved amicably.
To continue reading or watching login or register here
Already a member? Sign in
Get access to all of the expert analysis and commentary at LawInSport including articles, webinars, conference videos and podcast transcripts. Find out more here.
- Tags: Betting | Contract | Courtsiding | English Football League (EFL) | Football | Gambling | Intellectual Property | Premier League | Scottish Professional Football League | United Kingdom (UK)
Related Articles
- “Courtsiding” in sport: cheating, sharp practice or merely irritating?
- Technological advances in sports equipment: Cheating or evolution? Part 1 -The issues
- An overview of the new FIFA Disciplinary Code
- Betting, beer and CBD – how U.S. leagues & teams are approaching new non-traditional categories for sports sponsorships
Written by
Julian Moore
Head of Sport (London), Mills & Reeve
Julian is a specialist and highly-experienced commercial sports lawyer, focusing on the commercialisation and protection of media, marketing, data and other sports rights.