Backbytes: iPads not welcome here. Good

Manchester United bans iPads from the "theatre of dreams". About time, too

Modern technology has given people a huge array of new ways in which to annoy everyone else, from the carrying-on of phone conversations on the train, to selfies (enough said), to those people who unaccountably hold up their iPads to take photographs. On holiday. On Oxford Street.

It takes an incredible amount of self-control not to accidentally barge into them in such a way that they are forced to drop their benighted devices down a conveniently drain. Yeah, go on, use the "find my iPad" to find out where it gets flushed to.

It is therefore with some pleasure to see that we're not alone in this particular pet peeve and, not only that, but to see organisations starting to ban the use of such devices under their roof.

The latest is the footballing franchise Manchester United, both the world's most popular and least popular football club, which has commendably decided to take a stand, so to speak.

"Large electronic devices including laptops and tablets will be added to the existing list of prohibited items for matchdays at Old Trafford," according to a club statement. Indeed, any electronic device larger than 150 millimetres by 100 millimetres will be banned - so don't rush down to the "theatre of dreams" after work to watch "the reds" get spanked by Hull City or they'll confiscate your Macbook as well.

Disappointingly, though, instead of justifying it on the grounds of annoyance it falls back on the old terrorism line, claiming that it is "reacting to the latest security intelligence".

Unless they mean that people holding up a ten-inch iPad to take a rubbish photo of Wayne Rooney falling over 50 metres away are liable to get punched.