A pub once frequented by Charles Dickens has banned racegoers from entering their boozer - as staff believe they 'put off regulars'. The Golden Ball has been a 'race goers free zone this week' as the Dante festival kicked off at nearby York Racecourse on Wednesday.
The three-day festival, which ends today, saw thousands of punters flock to the city for a weekend of top-quality racing. But while bars in the city centre often see their coffers swelled by thirsty racefans, the boozer's staff said their regulars stop visiting the pub on race days.
In a post on social media announcing the trial, they said: "Golden Ball regulars rejoice - the pub will be a race goers free zone this week. We feel the races often detracts our lovely regulars from visiting the pub on race days. So we wanted to give you a safe haven. Let us know your thoughts on this."
Opinions were mixed on the move, with one social media user commenting: "Must be nice to be able to afford to turn people away when most other pub are struggling." One local replied: "I think it's a bad policy. I live locally, I like the Golden Ball and I occasionally will goto the races. You can outlaw anti-social behaviour without resorting to social engineering."
Another added: "But what if you are a ‘local’, want to go to the races and call back at your ‘local’?" Meanwhile, one wag quipped the move was 'race-ist'.
However, others welcomed the move. One woman said: "Glad to see this policy. As an old local who has moved away, it makes me want to visit more." Another comment read: "This pub is packed regularly. Excluding a few fly-by-nights who will only go once a year won't hit their pocket."
A third supporter quipped: "You could say that they’ve got some balls. Golden balls. As a bartender with three bar jobs I can safely say that pubs and bars are doing just fine. People are economising but still socialising, so refusing entry to rowdy customers for a few days isn’t going bankrupt the pub."
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The pub, a one-and-a-half mile gallop from the racecourse, is run as a co-operative with nearly 200 members. The historic boozer is first mentioned as a pub in 1773 and author Charles Dickens was reputedly a patron during his frequent visits to York to visit a relative.
On its website, it describes itself as a 'Grade II listed free-of-tie pub with a well preserved Victorian layout and beautiful tiled bar'. It boasts a range of hand-pulled cask ales 'with an emphasis on good quality locally produced beer'.
