Barcelona fan travels to wrong St James' Park, ends up 366 miles from Champions League match
Table of Contents
 |
The fan had expected to see Barcelona take on Newcastle United in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday night.
Instead, he arrived at Exeter City's St James Park in Devon - the home of the League One club - after a navigation mix-up.
Key takeaways
- Barcelona fan mistakenly travelled to Exeter's St James Park instead of Newcastle's.
- Navigation mix-up left supporter 366 miles from Champions League match.
- Exeter City gave the fan a free ticket to their League One game.
Everything you need to know about Barcelona's 2025/26 kits
Barcelona unveil 2025/26 kits: classic home, Kobe Bryant tribute away, and bold Bright Mango third shirt.
Read This Next →Navigation error leads fan to Exeter
According to Exeter officials, the supporter had travelled from London and only realised his mistake when he attempted to enter the stadium.The two stadiums share the same name but are located in very different parts of England.
Newcastle's St James' Park is situated in the north-east of England, whilst Exeter's ground is in Devon.
Adam Spencer, Exeter's supporter experience officer, said the mix-up likely occurred because the fan entered "St James Park" into his phone's navigation system and simply followed the directions.
One of our volunteers came to the office to let us know that this guy had turned up expecting to see FC Barcelona.
His English wasn't great, but from what we could gather, he'd come from London.
Exeter City offer consolation ticket
Rather than turning the supporter away, Exeter staff stepped in to help.They offered the fan a complimentary ticket to watch their League One match against Lincoln City, allowing him to at least enjoy a live game after the long journey.
Spencer said the fan appeared "pretty gutted and a bit embarrassed," but the club were happy to welcome him.
So, we sorted him out a ticket and he got to watch a game at the real St James Park. He'd be welcome back any time.
Two stadiums, one name
Both stadiums have shared the St James' Park name for more than a century.Newcastle's ground opened in 1892 and can hold over 52,000 supporters, whilst Exeter have played at their smaller 8,219-capacity stadium since 1904.
The distance between the two venues is roughly 366 miles (589 kilometres) - about a six-and-a-half-hour drive.
Want the best deals right now? View Best Deals →
Shop Featured Deals (Fast Checkout)Different results on the pitch
The unexpected detour meant the Barcelona supporter watched Exeter lose 1-0 to Lincoln, with Tom Hamer scoring the decisive goal in the first half.Meanwhile, more than 366 miles away in Newcastle, over 52,000 fans watched Barcelona secure a dramatic 1-1 draw against the Magpies.
Teenage star Lamine Yamal converted a 96th-minute penalty to cancel out Harvey Barnes' late opener, giving Barcelona a crucial away result ahead of the second leg.
The return fixture is scheduled to take place at Camp Nou on 18 March, where Barcelona will host Newcastle in the decisive match of the tie.
Despite missing the Champions League drama, the travelling supporter at least gained a memorable - if unexpected - football story.
Post a Comment