‘He looked devastated’: club tells of Barcelona fan who ended up in Exeter | Devon

The 2 stadiums are 366 miles aside. One holds greater than 50,000 individuals, the opposite lower than 10,000. The thrill as you stroll as much as the 2 grounds is a bit totally different.

However however, one Barcelona fan appeared to not have realised that he was on the mistaken floor and tried to get by means of the turnstiles at Exeter Metropolis’s modest stadium (St James Park), moderately than Newcastle United’s hulking one (St James’ Park).

Employees at Exeter advised on Thursday how they gently defined the error and gave him a seat for his or her third-tier match in opposition to Lincoln Metropolis moderately than the Champions League conflict he had hoped to observe.

“He appeared completely devastated,” stated Adam Spencer, supporter expertise officer at Exeter Metropolis.

“I put him in a pleasant seat in the primary stand. I assumed, nicely, he’s nearer to the pitch right here than he can be in Newcastle, and we’ve acquired no VAR [top flight football’s video assistant referee system] so I assumed he could have had a greater evening truly.”

However when Spencer went to verify on him within the second half, the supporter had slipped away. Information of the error has unfold far and extensive. A well known opticians is making an attempt to trace the fan right down to do some publicity concerning the error, as is a betting firm.

“He should have seen it by now,” stated Spencer, “However from my interplay with him on Tuesday, I’d say he’s in all probability too embarrassed in the intervening time. I’m certain in years to come back he’ll look again on his nice evening at Exeter Metropolis. However possibly not this week.”

Spencer stated he was preparing for the match when a member of the membership’s ambassador workforce popped his head into the workplace.

“They stated there’s a man making an attempt to get in a turnstile with a Newcastle v Barcelona ticket. I assumed it was a wind-up. I acquired them to convey him spherical to the fan zone. He was in all probability in his late-20s, early-30s. Dishevelled look on his face. I may inform he had been by means of the wringer.

“He didn’t communicate a lot English. He simply advised me: ‘Practice, London.’ We expect he had travelled down from London and simply acquired off the practice and walked straight as much as the turnstile along with his ticket and tried to make use of it. He advised a few of the supporters that his ticket price £100.

“I advised him: ‘Look buddy, I’m going to get you a ticket to come back in right here tonight. You’ve nonetheless acquired to observe some soccer.’

“I walked him as much as the gate. I stated, to be sincere, mate, I’d moderately watch Reece Cole [an Exeter midfielder] than Lamine Yamal [Barcelona superstar] anyway. However I don’t suppose he understood a phrase I stated.”

By the second half he had gone. “Whether or not he was sat in one other seat or had popped into town to observe the Barcelona recreation on TV or drown his sorrows. I don’t know,” stated Spencer.

“My guess can be he’s put St James Park in his telephone. The railway station proper subsequent to the station right here has the identical title. And off he trots. That’s his planning achieved. He’s on a pleasant, enjoyable journey. Till he will get right here and walks as much as the stadium and thinks, I assumed the Gallowgate [Newcastle’s famous end] can be a bit louder than that.”

There was scepticism concerning the story from some soccer followers and commentators.

Spencer stated: “I assume it’s fairly unbelievable that you can make that mistake, however I feel the most important issue was that he didn’t communicate a lot English. Spencer stated he didn’t take an image as a result of the Barcelona fan was so abashed. “I didn’t really feel proper on the time to ask him.”

Exeter has by no means performed Barcelona however one hyperlink is that they’re each fan-owned.

Neil Le Milliere, a member of the supporters’ belief board that owns the bulk shareholding within the membership, stated: “It’s typical of our membership to kind out somebody like that.”

Le Milliere stated he was fairly certain the fan visited the supporters-run bar, The Well-known Exeter Metropolis Actual Ale and Cider Emporium, on Tuesday. “Plenty of away supporters ask us why their golf equipment don’t have one thing like that.”

Some have questioned if an apostrophe led to the error. St James’ Park in Newcastle has one; Exeter’s is St James Park.

Veteran Exeter fan Clive Edmonds-Brown stated: “The poor chap’s coronary heart should have sunk. It’s a disgrace he didn’t convey the Barcelona workforce with him.”

One other supporter, Karen Blundell, stated: “I’m shocked he didn’t see all the house followers in crimson and white moderately than the black and white of Newcastle United. Little bit of a schoolboy error.”

However Spencer can sympathise. By coincidence, he visited Barcelona final weekend, booked for a tour of the membership’s Nou Camp – and acquired misplaced on the way in which there. “I acquired on the mistaken tube. I tousled however clearly not as a lot as him. I didn’t find yourself in northern Spain.”