A Barcelona supporter’s trip to watch his team in Europe took a very unexpected turn this week.
Instead of witnessing a Champions League night in Newcastle, he ended up watching a League One match in Devon.
Barcelona fan hilariously turns up at wrong St James' Park
A fan of Barcelona accidentally travelled to the wrong St James Park, believing he was heading to watch the LaLiga giants face Newcastle United in the UEFA Champions League.
The supporter, who had travelled from London, arrived at the turnstiles of the Adam Stansfield Stand expecting to see Barcelona take on the Magpies.
It was only when he showed the staff his ticket that the mistake became clear, as he had navigated to Exeter’s St James Park ground rather than United's St James' Park.
Exeter’s Supporter Experience Officer, Adam Spencer, explained that staff quickly realised the supporter had simply entered “St James Park” into his phone and followed the directions given.
Despite the mix-up, Exeter ensured the evening wasn’t a total loss, as staff arranged a free ticket so the visitor could still watch their home match against Lincoln under the lights.
“He was pretty gutted and a bit embarrassed,” Spencer said. “So we sorted him out a ticket, and he got to watch a game at the real St James Park.”
FGG says: Exeter City show their class after embarrassing gaffe
It could easily have been a miserable evening for the travelling supporter. Instead, Exeter turned an embarrassing moment into a memorable story.
Small gestures like this show the welcoming side of football culture, even when someone accidentally turns up at the entirely wrong stadium.
For the Barcelona fan, it may not have been Champions League football, but he still got to experience a night at an English ground, with Lincoln running out 1-0 winners.
And thanks to Exeter’s response, it has become a story he’ll probably be telling for years.