AN Oldswinford boozer has been given another rap on the knuckles - this time by advertising watchdogs who upheld a complaint about text message marketing.

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has warned The Cross Sports Bar it must not send out unsolicited texts to customers to promote forthcoming events after one such advertisement plugging the Barcelona v Arsenal football match on March 8 was found to have breached database rules laid down in the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (CAP Code).

The complainant claimed she had been sent a message advertising the game despite previously being assured her number had been removed from the pub’s marketing database.

ASA watchdogs welcomed assurances from The Cross that the number had been removed from its list but it found the message had breached rules as the pub failed to prove the complainant had given her details in the first place in order to receive promotional texts.

The ruling is the latest fly in the ointment for The Cross landlord Wayne Etheridge, who has found himself embroiled in a series of bitter disputes with Dudley Council over marquees and a sandwich van parked on his car park - and even a spat with the town’s MP after she encouraged nearby residents to report anti-social behaviour emanating from the venue.

But this time Mr Etheridge says “someone’s playing a game”.

He said: “I think it’s a complete joke and waste of time.”

The controversial pub boss said The Cross keeps the mobile numbers and favourite football teams of 6,500 customers who are regularly texted details of sports matches to be shown at the pub.

But all punters no longer interested in receiving reminders have to do is to text ‘stop’ and their number and details will be deleted.

He added: “There’s a sheet on the end of the bar - where people fill in their names and football teams, they get added and deleted on a weekly basis, but this one customer keeps replying stop and adding her name.

“It’s been deleted four or five times and and added that amount of times.

“I think someone’s playing a game, possibly somebody I’ve upset in the past. I’m not too fussed about it.

“We’ve had one complaint out of 6,500 telephone numbers over the last six years. It’s effective advertising - it works.”