Wimbledon bans selfie sticks over 'nuisance value'

Ubiquitous: Rory McIlroy uses a selfie stick to take a photo with fans at the Sage Valley Golf Club South Carolina on Friday (Picture: Jon-Michael-Sullivan/The Augusta Chronicle via AP)

Gareth Vipers

27 April 2015

Wimbledon has become the latest venue to ban selfie sticks.

The backlash against the phenomenon continues as the All England Lawn Tennis Club became the latest high-profile venue to ban the popular accessory.

The news will come as a blow to tennis fans hoping to get the perfect selfie at the championships.

A ticketholders' guide for this year's tournament says: "In common with many other major sports and entertainment events and cultural attractions, The Championships will not allow 'selfie sticks' into the grounds."

A spokesman for the AELTC said the move was brought in partly because of the "nuisance value" but "primarily so it doesn't interfere with spectators' enjoyment".

Selfie sticks proved immensely popular among those swept up in the phenomenon of taking pictures of themselves using smartphones.

However, they have met increasing resistance in recent months.

Earlier this year they were banned from the National Gallery. The venue in Trafalgar Square, central London, placed the devices in the same category as tripods, which are already prohibited, and the move prompted other cultural venues to consider following suit.

Tottenham Hotspur banned them from White Hart Lane after a complaint from a fan, while they have also been barred at a number of galleries and museums in the US and France.

Wimbledon bans selfie sticks over 'nuisance value'

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