A SPANISH football fan was left ‘gutted’ after travelling to the UK to watch FC Barcelona play in the Champions League – only to turn up at the wrong ground on the other side of the country.
The supporter flew in from Spain with a ticket for Barcelona’s crunch first leg Round of 16 tie against Newcastle United on Tuesday, set to take place at St James’ Park in the north-east.
But the fan instead accidentally travelled to St James Park, the home of Exeter City, located some 589 kilometres (366 miles) away in south-west England.
He only realised his error when he tried – and failed – to enter the 8,219-capacity ground with his Champions League ticket.
“When I first met him, he was so gutted and hardly spoke any English,” Adam Spencer, support experience officer at Exeter City, told the Olive Press.
To sweeten the deal, staff at the League One club handed the man a free ticket for the club’s midweek tie against Lincoln City – which the Grecians lost 1-0.
At the other end of the country, Barcelona left Tyneside on level terms after a 96th-minute penalty from superstar Lamine Yamal ensured the game finished 1-1.
“I put him in a nice seat in the main stand,” Spencer told The Guardian.
“I thought, well, he’s closer to the pitch here than he would be in Newcastle, and we’ve got no VAR, so I thought he may have had a better night actually.”
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Spencer was getting ready for the match when a member of the club’s ambassador team informed him of the situation.
“They said there’s a guy trying to get in a turnstile with a Newcastle v Barcelona ticket. I thought it was a wind-up. I got them to bring him round to the fan zone. He was probably in his late-20s, early-30s. A dishevelled look on his face. I could tell he had been through the wringer.
“My guess would be he’s put St James Park in his phone. The railway station right next to the stadium here has the same name. And off he trots. That’s his planning done.
“He’s on a nice, relaxing journey, until he gets here and walks up to the stadium and thinks, I thought the Gallowgate [Newcastle’s famous stadium end] would be a bit louder than that.
“He must have seen it by now. But from my interaction with him on Tuesday, I would say he’s probably too embarrassed at the moment.
“I’m sure in years to come he’ll look back on his great night at Exeter City, but maybe not this week.”
Click here to read more Spain News from The Olive Press.
