Method of controlling access to a sports facility

A method of controlling access to a sports facility, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing access privilege data on a user-carried non-transferable data storage medium (5);
• reading the access privilege data from the data storage medium (5) with a reading device (2), which is located at an entrance (1) to the sports facility, upon initial entry of the user to the sports facility;
• reading control data, with an antenna (3′, 8) which is located at the entrance (1) to the sports facility near the ground, from at least one additional data storage medium (6) located on sports equipment of the user upon the initial entry of the user to the sports facility;
• storing the access privilege data read by the reading device (2) and the control data read by the antenna (3′, 8);
• re-reading the access privilege data from the non-transferable data storage medium (5) with the reading device (2), which is located at the entrance (1) to the sports facility, upon a subsequent entry of the user to the sports facility;
• re-reading the control data from the at least one additional data storage medium (6), which is located near the ground on the user's sporting equipment, with the antenna (3′, 8), which is located at the entrance (1) to the sports facility, upon a subsequent entry of the user to the sports facility;
• comparing the stored access privilege data and the stored control data with the re-read access privilege data and the re-read control data;
• and
• preventing access to the sports facility through the entrance (1), if the re-read access privilege data and the re-read control data do not match the stored access privilege data and the stored control data, but permitting access to the sports facility, through the entrance (1), if the re-read access privilege data and the re-read control data matches the stored access privilege data and the stored control data.