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Grandfather, 76, claims he was ‘shell shocked’ after bouncer told him he was too OLD to come in for a drink at a pub in centre of Liverpool
- Anthony Sever, 76, from Liverpool, tried to go for a pint at Irish bar McCooley’s
- However, when the grandfather approached the bar, he was refused entry
- According to the septuagenarian, a member of security said he was too old
- But pub spokesperson said ‘age wasn’t a factor’ in Anthony being turned away
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A 76-year-old man has described feeling ‘shell shocked’ after he says he was refused entry to a Liverpool city centre bar for being ‘too old’.
Anthony Severs, a retired shipbuilder from Vauxhall, Liverpool, was out drinking on July 25 on Mathew Street – an area he likes socialising in because he often bumps into people he knows.
After leaving The Grapes, as it was raining, he decided to head to Irish bar McCooley’s to get out of the wet and enjoy a pint, he told the Liverpool Echo.
But when the grandfather tried to go into the bar, the bouncer denied him entry, Anthony says, claiming that the bouncer described him as being ‘too old’ to come in – a claim denied by a pub spokesperson, who said there may have been a ‘miscommunication’ on the night.
The experience left him ‘shell shocked’, he said, adding: ‘I’d just come out of The Grapes – it was raining and I’d been soaked. I don’t live far from town and without the buses (due to the ongoing Arriva strike ), I was walking home,’ he said.
76-year-old grandfather Anthony Severs (pictured) from Liverpool was ‘shell shocked’ after he says he was refused entry to a pub – for being too old
McCooley’s is an Irish bar in Liverpool. According to Anthony Severs, a security person working at the bar refused him entry, citing his age
‘But because it was raining, I thought I’d go into McCooley’s just to dry off and have a drink. I got up the stairs to go in, but a bouncer said I couldn’t come in. I asked why and she said I was too old.’
According to the 76-year-old, he told the bouncer that what she said was ‘discrimination’, however, she remained silent, and he simply walked away.
Adding that he felt ‘shocked’, the pensioner said that while ‘people might laugh’, being told you are too old is ‘not on’.
Following the incident, Anthony’s daughter advised him to contact McCooley’s to complain about his experience.
According to the 76-year-old, the bar advised him to contact the firm from which it hires security staff.
He said: ‘When I got my head together, I went down to McCooley’s and they said it wasn’t down to them, it was down to the security firm.
‘I said that I wanted a personal apology, because she kept me out personally.’
After the incident, Anthony (pictured) said his daughter advised him to contact the pub to complain, and they subsequently suggested he contact the firm which provides security staff
A spokesperson for McCooley’s told MailOnline that while ‘unfortunately Mr Severs wasn’t allowed in after leaving The Grapes’, his age was not a factor, adding that ‘there may be a bit of miscommunication on the night’.
The spokesperson added: ‘Most of our customers, especially midweek are older. He’s certainly allowed back at anytime.
‘The security person who he wanted the personal apology from no longer works here unfortunately, but he has received an apology from the head of the door firm responsible for employing her – in person, about the issue.
‘If he wants to come back we’ll certainly make sure he’s looked after.
‘He’s refused to give his details to the security firm so we couldn’t contact him ourselves.’
They added that managers first heard of the complaint after reading about the story in the media.