Former England boss Clive Woodward has slammed the fans at Twickenham, saying they are more interested in queuing for a beer than what is happening on the field.
The 2003 World Cup-winning coach, now TV pundit, said he was disturbed by the scenes at the stadium during his pre-game walk for the Six Nations clash between England and Scotland last week.
Woodward claimed he had experienced the drinking culture among supporters during the November Tests but had hoped that some changes would be implemented in time for the Six Nations.
In his regular column for England’s Daily Mail, the 67-year-old launched a stinging attack on the RFU and its policy of allowing fans to drink in the Twickenham stands during matches.
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“Having experienced Twickenham’s drinking culture first-hand while working at England’s Six Nations opener against Scotland, it made me realise that the RFU have a big problem on their hands,” Woodward writes.
“They have to do something about the huge number of supporters who spend most of the match getting up and down to either go to the bar to buy more beers or to go to the toilet.
“Twickenham is turning into the world’s biggest pub and for many England fans, watching their team has now become a pretty unpleasant experience.
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“I witnessed this problem during the autumn internationals and had hoped that it might be better during the Six Nations.
“Before kick-off on Saturday, I was down at pitch level to preview the match for ITV. As the teams ran out and the anthems were played, we made our way to the studio and walked through Twickenham.
“I was amazed to see thousands and thousands of supporters still queuing at the bar rather than sitting in their seats ready for kick off.”
Photo: @Telegraph