All England Club bans fans from bringing selfie sticks

As strange as it may seem to tennis purists and long-time fans of the sport, the news that selfie sticks will not be permitted at the tournament will no doubt come as a crushing blow to some spectators.

The hugely popular devices, which allow users to take photos of themselves and others by having a longer reach, will not be allowed through the gates at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

Selfie sticks, often used by tourists and quickly growing in popularity, divide opinion with many finding them to be irritating and distracting at big events.

A spokesperson for the All England Lawn Tennis Club confirmed to The Times that the decision was partly made due to the "nuisance value".

In addition, the move was taken "primarily so it doesn't interfere with spectators' enjoyment".

The Wimbledon ticketholders' guide has added: "In common with many other major sports and entertainment events and cultural attractions, the championships will not allow selfie sticks into the grounds."

Wimbledon has joined a number of Premier League clubs in banning selfie sticks with Manchester United most notably banning a range of items from Old Trafford, including cameras of various sizes.

While many people over the age of 35 might think that this a welcome first step towards the outright banning of selfies full stop, it seems a wilfully harsh and unnecessarily heavy handed move that many will see as tantamount to a declaration of war on young fans.

For better or worse, kids today are obsessed with sharing their experiences with the world by taking pictures, so much so that it seems the pictures trump interest in following the event itself.

But it's hard to be too down on Wimbledon for this move. Given how upset tennis players get when a flash goes off inside Centre Court, it is hardly a big surprise that the All England Club have acted as swiftly as they have over this latest craze.