A man from Liverpool, England encountered a strange situation when he was refused entry to a pub because he was ‘too old’. Being turned away from a pub for being too young is common. Anthony Severs made the choice to stop at McCooley’s Irish Pub in Liverpool around 10pm on July 25 in order to shelter from the rain and have a pint while there.
Anthony Severs
Severs, 76, was ‘shocked’ when the bouncer told him he was ‘too old’ to enter. He claims to have subsequently filed a complaint, but the bar has not yet expressed any regrets and, therefore, he feels “discriminated against” because of his age.
The retired shipbuilder gave the following account of the particular circumstance: “I had just left The Grapes when it started to rain and I was soaked. Because there was no bus (due to the ongoing Arriva strike) and I didn’t live far from town, I had to walk back. However, I decided to go to McCooley’s because it was raining so I could dry off and have a drink.
“I climbed the steps to get in, but the bouncer told me I couldn’t. She said I was too old when I asked why,” Severs said. “It’s discrimination,” I pointed out. She then remained silent. I just left because I was in shock.
Anthony went on to say that he has a daughter and several grandchildren “What would you think? It didn’t really hit me until I started leaving. I wondered if I was “too old”. I was surprised because nothing like it had ever happened in the over 60 years that I had been drinking in the neighborhood.
People might laugh if you’re told you’re too old, but Severs added, “You’re not.” The grandfather was so taken aback by the circumstance that he chose to discuss it with his daughter. He said he drank on Mathew Street because he met people he knew there. She advised him to file a grievance with McCooley’s. Severs, however, claims that after that he was told to contact the company the club have contracted with to provide security guards.
When Severs finally recovered, he went to McCooley, where they informed him that the security company was to blame rather than them. I asked for a personal apology as she excluded me individually.
McCooley’s has since issued the following statement to LADbible in response to the incident: “As a bar and restaurant specializing in live music and sporting events, we pride ourselves on creating a fun, vibrant, all-inclusive environment at McCooley’s, and we are truly saddened to hear that Mr. Severs feels upset, and we thank him for bringing this situation to our attention.
“Unfortunately Mr Severs was turned away after leaving the grapes but it is possible that there was some confusion that night rather than age being an issue. The majority of our consumers, especially any throughout the week, are elderly. He is no doubt welcome to come back at any time “Then the statement continued. The external security officer who he asked for a personal apology is no longer at the job of the security company we use, but he still got an apology in person from the manager of that company.
