Almost certainly not allowed without a policeman present and you almost certainly didn't give any kind of consent by agreeing to a search. But ultimately he does have the right to refuse you entry to the ground, so you make a pragmatic choice. Next time put a primed mouse trap in your pocket.

If you took it up with the club the argument would probably be that consenting to searches like that is part of the terms and conditions of entering the ground.

You can choose to not be searched or patted down, but then you won't be watching the game either.

Employee of the month is a good example of how someone can be both a winner and a loser at the same time.

You are allowed to be searched by official club stewards.

Rule 6 of CPFC Ground regulations.

6 All persons seeking entrance to the Ground acknowledge the Club's right to search any person entering the Ground and to refuse entry to or eject from the Ground any person refusing to submit to such a search.
Read more at [Link]

This would apply at any other football ground as well (unless of course they were stupid enough to leave them out of their ground rules!

Stewards working at a ground have no legal or statutory power to search any person without that persons express consent.

Under no circumstances can they forcibly search anyone. However clubs can make it a ‘condition of entry’ that people wishing to enter consent to being searched prior to being allowed in.

As a steward has no more power of authority than anyone else, putting their hands in your pockets is not something they are legally allowed to do. Although they can ask you to empty them out. (Good news, if they had found your coke or blade on Sunday it probably wouldn’t have stuck, as you would have been able to claim it had been planted by them.)

Police officers do have the power to stop and search you but they have to have ‘reasonable grounds’ o which to do so. Such as you have illegal drugs, a weapon, stolen property or something which could be used to commit a crime, such as a crowbar.

When police search you they can only pat down your outer clothing. They cannot squeeze or reach into your pockets unless they believe they have felt a weapon during the patting down.

You can only be stopped and searched without reasonable grounds if it has been approved by a senior police officer. This can happen if they suspected serious violence could take place or that you’re carrying a weapon, or have used one.

Before you’re searched the police officer must tell you: Their name and police station, what they expect to find, the reason they want to search you, why they are legally allowed to search you and that you can have a record of the search, or if this isn’t possible at the time, how you can get a copy.

Obviously once you’re arrested and in custody things change.

So, in summary, the steward has no authority to go into your pockets. So, you would have been within your rights to have refused and report his request to the nearest copper.

As police will nearly always take the side of stewards it is almost a certainty you would then been refused entry and no action would be taken against the steward

If you really did want to take it further you should report this to the FA or Man United who have a legal obligation that their stewards act lawfully

Edited by Kodg (22 May 2017 5.57pm)

Isn't the issue about making sure that when we watch a game we are in a safe environment.
I personally wouldn't worry if I was stripped b-------k naked if it gave me confidence that some idiot wasn't going to blow himself up.

This, after recent events I actually feel the Palace stewards don't go far enough although I know the ones I go to every other week these days.

Checking what is in your pockets or having you empty it out, no big deal Shirley!