Beach football ban amid health and safety fears
Health and safety worries have pushed one mayor in Spain's northwestern region of Galicia to ban football on his town's beaches.
Ángel García Seoane has emphasized the benefits of his plan to regulate sporting activities on the beaches of Oleiros, northwestern Spain, which could see the country's national sport banished from the sands.
The new measures mean that people planning to play sport on the beach will have to ask permission from the town council.
"A few days ago someone was killed in the canary islands after someone hit them over the head with a board" he told regional newspaper La Voz de Galicia.
“I love sport and I love nothing more than seeing people surfing and playing football on the beach in the winter.”
It is playing football in the summer that the mayor takes issue with.
“In summer we must take into account the people who come to enjoy the beach and not play football at high tide.
“The only thing I request is that people are responsible,” he added.
Seoane also pointed out that he would bear responsibility for any accidents that did occur on the beach:
“I am by law ultimately responsible for Civil Protection and if something happens on Bastiagueiro or Santa Cristina then the person who will appear in court is me.”
Beachgoers, however, have yet to be convinced with many telling La Voz de Galicia that the new measures were “unnecessary”.
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Ángel García Seoane has emphasized the benefits of his plan to regulate sporting activities on the beaches of Oleiros, northwestern Spain, which could see the country's national sport banished from the sands.
The new measures mean that people planning to play sport on the beach will have to ask permission from the town council.
"A few days ago someone was killed in the canary islands after someone hit them over the head with a board" he told regional newspaper La Voz de Galicia.
“I love sport and I love nothing more than seeing people surfing and playing football on the beach in the winter.”
It is playing football in the summer that the mayor takes issue with.
“In summer we must take into account the people who come to enjoy the beach and not play football at high tide.
“The only thing I request is that people are responsible,” he added.
Seoane also pointed out that he would bear responsibility for any accidents that did occur on the beach:
“I am by law ultimately responsible for Civil Protection and if something happens on Bastiagueiro or Santa Cristina then the person who will appear in court is me.”
Beachgoers, however, have yet to be convinced with many telling La Voz de Galicia that the new measures were “unnecessary”.
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