.Soldiers turned away from Tiger Tiger bar for wearing uniforms
Servicemen from the 2nd Battalion The Rifles had gone to the Tiger Tiger bar after hundreds of residents watched them march through the town following their return from a tour of duty.
Hours earlier they had cheered through the streets and given the freedom of the borough. The battalion lost 13 men in Afghanistan, making it the worst hit British unit.
However, bar staff turned them away saying their attire was too untidy.
Some soldiers accepted the rejection and went to a nearby Primark store to buy civilian clothing, but others were left furious by the move.
The bar's staff said that after 8pm on Thursday there was a strict evening dress code, which states that only smartly clothed drinkers are allowed in.
But because the soldiers had been marching through the town centre that day they did not have a change of clothes with them.
Their battalion was part of the 19 Light Brigade, which took over operations in Sangin, Afghanistan, in April this year and had lost 13 men and suffered dozens of casualties.
Rifleman Danny Simpson, one of the 13 who died in Sangin, came from the Croydon area and the soldiers had come from their base in Northern Ireland at the invitation of the mayor.
Barry Cordery from the Norbury British Legion said: "It is an absolute disgrace, they should have been welcomed in.
"It was all about them, they had come to Croydon because the borough invited them and they came to remember their comrade, Rifleman Danny Simpson.
"The people at Tiger Tiger should have treated them like celebrities instead of turning them away."
Dozens of soldiers had been drinking in the bar following the march and a reception for friends and family at Fairfield Halls.
But staff told them they had to leave the bar at 8pm because they did not conform to the dress code.
A customer said: "The soldiers took it surprisingly well. A lot of them went out to Primark to buy civvies but they shouldn't have had to.
"They were wearing their uniform as a badge of honour and rightly so.
"If they had been fighting each other I could understand but they were just having a drink. Everyone else welcomed them to the borough so why Tiger Tiger couldn't bend their rules for one night I don't know."
Another customer said: "It was a total disgrace what happened to those soldiers.
"They lay down their lives for us and this is how we repay them. I was ashamed to be in the bar. I won't be going there ever again."
Tiger Tiger general manager, Ross Palmer, said: "Unfortunatley it is our dress code that on Thursday nights people must come dressed in smart casual clothes.
"We understand that they have just returned from Afghanistan but that is our policy I am afraid."
Telegraph
posted by madtom at 11:09 PM
3 Comments:
What a load of twaddle! I was in that bar that night and there were still soldiers around in uniform at 1-2am in the morning, infact i think i have a picture on my phone somewhere, so they weren't forced to change, asked to change, but to be honest i don't blame Tiger asking them if they can change. I heard myself on numerous occasions as walking through the bar that night from young disrespectful guys saying i'm gonna punch one of those soldiers in the head, we will start on them later arrogant d***ks think they are it etc... That's what you get nowadays, there isn't any respect for anyone, plus the whole thing of Clubbing in Croydon, i don't know why this is, but there is just so much attitude from everyone, no one can just go out, have fun and not start a fight. I have seen many fights start for the most stupid of reasons. Tiger know there bar like any other bar in Croydon, they no how and where trouble can start. Any good bar would and should take all steps to prevent fights. With the soldiers uniform on they BECOME A TARGET; Tiger were looking out for these soldiers asking them to follow the smart casual code, because they knew with the soldiers uniform on, they become a target to these young disrespectful guys that can't handle there drink, and fights start.
Your story is a bit conflicted, you say you were there, but then you say the bar asked for casual dress? Which on is it?
Sounds like the gutless manager of the Tiger Tiger bar if you ask me, dont expect to see a photo any time soon.
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