I was booted out of a football stadium with my six-month-old baby just minutes after kick off – they should be ashamed
A MUM has hit out at a Premier League club after she was escorted from the ground because her six-month-old son was under-age.
Everton fan Chloe Mathers says Leicester City staff escorted her out of the King Power Stadium 30 minutes into her team’s 2-2 draw away from home on Monday night.
Leicester do not allow children under the age of two into the ground for football matches.
The 31-year-old claims she’s taken her six-month-old son, who she doesn’t wish to be named, to other Premier League grounds problem-free.
She claims she was then stunned when stewards said the atmosphere was ‘too hostile’.
The 2015-2016 Premier League winners’ online ticketing policy details state ‘children under the age of two are not permitted to enter the stadium for any football matches’.
But Chloe says staff on the entrance turnstiles asked if she’d like to use a separate entrance when they noticed her carrying her baby in a sling.
She also claims the rule isn’t in the stadium regulations document.
The mum-of-five says she was treated ‘like scum’ and wasn’t allowed to return to her seat and grab her baby’s blanket after being told of her impending ejection from the stadium.
Two of her other children, aged nine and 10, were allegedly left in the away section.
Chloe called a pal also at the game who explained where she’d gone to her crying kids.
During the game she posted a striking image of her and her baby on the stadium’s forecourt after apparently being kicked out at 8.30pm, adding the club ‘should be ashamed’ of her treatment.
Some football fans have criticised Chloe for wanting to bring a six-month-old to the match but she says he goes to every game and ‘if it wasn’t safe she wouldn’t take him’.
Leicester City said the club’s policy on minimum age for match day admission is ‘designed to ensure the safety of all match attendees in a busy stadium environment’ and is outlined in their terms and conditions.
They also said ‘appropriate procedure’ was followed to safely escort parent and child from the stadium bowl shortly after kick-off.
Chloe, from Allerton, Merseyside, said: “It wasn’t hostile at all, it’s a joke what they said.
“I asked them if I was getting kicked out because it was hostile or because my kid’s under two and they said both.
“If I’d have seen a safety issue I’d have removed myself.
“There’s been days when we’ve been walking back to the coach and there’s been fighting but I haven’t gone that way. I’ve gone the long way.
“30 minutes into the game two stewards came up to me and asked if they could have a word.
“The staff told me ‘it’s hostile today with Everton being in a relegation battle and your child’s under two so you need to leave now’.
“I told them I didn’t know about that rule and they wouldn’t show me anything that said he couldn’t be there.
“I told them I’d leave because I didn’t want it causing a lot of trouble but they wouldn’t even let me [back] up to get my baby’s blanket. They surrounded me and it was intimidating.
“Their documents don’t match with each other and I’ve been let in for 30 minutes and been seen by numerous staff. I got treated like scum.
“I didn’t want my kids to come out [of the ground] and be cold. We’d travelled all this way so I told them I was okay so they could enjoy the game.
“They were crying but luckily they calmed down after that.
“I’ve seen the hate I’ve got with it but I’m taking my six-month-old to the match because it’s my child. If you don’t think it’s appropriate, call social services because I haven’t committed a crime.
“He’s never left with grandparents or at home. He comes to every game and we’ve never had an issue before.”
Chloe says that after an hour on the forecourt a steward requested she come inside out of the cold but she rejected the ‘late’ offer and her coach pulled up shortly afterwards for her to get on.
Chloe’s post reads: “30 minutes into the match. Just been kicked out of the Leicester v Everton match by a steward because I have my six-month-old baby with me, who I had a ticket for.
“They had no problem letting me in with him and taking my tickets. My two other children are still in the ground. I have nowhere to go as I have travelled on the supporters coach.
“They won’t even let me get my baby’s blanket which is on the seat in the ground as I didn’t know I was getting kicked out when I was asked to be spoken to, so we are just standing in the cold.
“They said that it is the rules of the ground. Here are the rules [link to regulations]. Nothing in there. You should be ashamed of yourself Leicester Football Club.”
One commented: “Omg this is despicable. Leicester City! How dare they do this. She has another two children in the ground.”
A second said: “Awful that Chloe! Absolute jobsworth!”
A third added: “Oh my god this is shocking! Hope you’re all okay.”
However some on social media questioned why she was at the game with her baby.
One wrote: “Aside from all the rules are rules stuff, isn’t taking a six month old baby on a long coach trip then into a raucous away end a bit…odd? Maybe I’m the snowflake after all.”
A second commented: “Who takes a six month old baby to an away game on a Monday night? And how does a baby, who wasn’t born when the season started, manage to get an away ticket?”
A third wrote: “A baby at a game, in the evening, and on the away fans coach after match at night. Is that normal? Sounds a bit too much for the child.”
A Leicester City spokesman said: “The Club’s policy on minimum age for match day admission is designed to ensure the safety of all match attendees in a busy stadium environment and is outlined clearly in our terms and conditions.
“These are available on our website and issued to all visiting clubs for distribution among supporters purchasing away tickets.
“On Monday night, once it became apparent that an infant had been admitted into the away supporters’ section, appropriate procedure was followed to safely escort parent and child from the stadium bowl shortly after kick-off.
“Club staff subsequently offered support to retrieve items left behind, while ensuring all other minors in their party remained accompanied by the correct number of appropriate adults.”
The Sun approached Everton FC but the club declined to comment.