Manchester United Football Club (MUFC) has moved to ban iPads from the club’s stadium, at a time when many sports clubs are embracing technology as a way of enhancing the matchday experience.

The club circulated an email to fans advising them of the move before Tuesday night’s friendly against Valencia.

The email said: “Supporters cannot bring large electronic devices (bigger than 150mmx100mm) inside the stadium. For example, iPads or other tablet devices and laptops are now prohibited. Also please be aware that large bags, large cameras and liquids (with the exception of a small bottle of water with the top removed) are included in our list of prohibited items.”

The move is presumed to be an attempt to stop fans from infringing on broadcast rights by recording the action, although it could prove a hindrance for fans arriving straight from work or who have brought their iPad as entertainment for a long train journey to the match.

It also jars against the increasing trend of clubs harnessing technological developments to improve the ‘fan journey’. In a recent feature for magazine, managing editor Tom Walker outlined how many sports stadiums are moving to engage with millennials by offering high capacity WiFi at their venues, allowing fans to check stats and stay connected to their favourite social media platforms throughout the match.

Offering internet access not only makes fans feel more at home, it also creates endless possibilities for fan engagement as well as marketing opportunities, Walker pointed out. He also highlighted the potential for additional revenue by incorporating apps making it easier to order food and beverages.

Not everybody is opposed to the ban though. In a Twitter exchange with Walker, MUFC season ticket holder Gary Thornton indicated that tablets had become a nuisance to regular fans.

“(iPad ban) Not weird for me, nightmare all the tourists sitting there holding their iPads up filming the entire game,” Thornton wrote, later adding: “It's finding a balance for fans wanting to "capture" there Man Utd moment – I would suggest when the players are warming up.”

The Red Devils are so far the only Premier League club known to have brought in a ban, however the move has been trialled before elsewhere. In 2010, the New York Yankees banned iPads from their baseball stadium, but subsequently reversed the decision two years later.

To read Tom Walker’s full feature on the recent developments in stadium technology, first featured in the Q4 2013 edition of magazine (p.38-40) click here.