TWO Portsmouth fans have been banned from attending football matches for 3 years after attempting to sneak into St Mary’s Stadium to watch the South Coast Derby
Brothers Kane and Dale Green, weren’t content with watching the game at home, or at the pub alongside their fellow Pompey fans who were unable to get a ticket, so the duo hatched a cunning plan.
Saints were in downfall, with disastrous form which would eventually get newly appointed Will Still sacked, it was a must watch for any Pompey fan, who hadn’t seen their team win a derby in 15 years.
If your team was in this situation, would watching the TV be enough for you, would you be okay missing out on being apart of that environment. I know I sure wouldn’t.
This got us thinking on ways that fans can try and get into stadiums without paying the ever increasing price for a ticket, I have devised six techniques for fans to pick and choose from.
- The art of disguise
Wearing Hi-Vis and exuding confidence, the Pompey duo pretended to be stewards, on a game like that, extra stewards were expected, so who would notice another two faces in the mix?
Well…..extra stewards meant extra security, who were on high alert and saw the men were missing an important part of their costume, accreditation.
The brothers were discovered and banned for 3 years, which now looks like a reward, as they will now miss their side’s inevitable relegation battle.
Whilst stewards are expected to have a pass around their necks, are janitors, electricians or chefs?
Football stadiums are filled with staff who don’t need a ticket to get in, you could even try and sell yourself as the backup goalkeeper coach, who recognises their teams backup goalkeeper coach?
2. The art of the riot
In 2021 England has their best chance at a major trophy since 1966, this was a once in a lifetime moment for a majority of fans, who weren’t even alive to see the last time the three lions saw success.
Riots took place, London was swarmed by thousands of English fans, who were creating havoc around every corner.
Over two-thousand fans made an attempt to break into Wembley, and whilst the security did there best to keep the rioters outside, a lucky few managed to watch the game without paying there way in.
The art of the riot is a gambler’s paradise, hoping to be one of the lucky ones who the guards don’t catch, it’s a risky tactic but if luck is on your side and a crowd has formed, being one of the bunch might be the strategy for you.
You can even try and blend this with the art of disguise as one England fan did, putting on a hi-vis and posing as a steward, wheeling an innocent disabled man into the stadium.
Although he was caught by the mans family and friends, who were attending the important game alongside him, and unsurprisingly noticed him being hijacked by a strange man without a press pass.
“You could tell he was unnerved by it, but he tried to laugh it off by saying you could almost admire the creativeness of it,” said Tim, the mans father.
3. The art of sleight of hand
Unless you are a member of the Kaiser Chiefs you can’t predict when a riot is going to take place, so you need a backup plan incase you show up and are left alone.
You could always pray on security being tired or stewards being not paid enough to chase, a Saka-esque drop of the shoulder and a hop, skip and jump over the turnstile could just be enough to make it to the stands.
To move the odds into your favour, you can attempt to bribe a staff member, a tenner in the pocket might be just enough for a security guard to ‘pull a hamstring’ or a ticket inspector to tie their shoelaces as you leap over a barrier
This tactic is a blast from the past, a father gets his ticket checked as his son slips underneath the turnstile, security has upgraded slightly to stop the cheap tactics of the 90s, forcing fans to get more creative.
This art requires, speed, skill and an opportunistic mindset, taking the chance when it comes, any hesitation could end in disaster.
4. The art of the climb
When you were a kid did you climb any tree within a 10 mile radius? If your answer was yes then this tip is for you.
If you can find a good route, climbing the side of a stadium might be your way into a seat, a technique used by some Liverpool fans at their recent champions league clash against Real Madrid, a strategy which may have worked, if the pair of scousers didn’t film themselves doing so.
This technique takes some planning, not all stadiums are easily climbable, and some that are, you would be stranded on the roof forced to watch from the skies
And whilst a bird’s eye view might sound ideal, trying to see who just scored the winning goal when all the players are the size of peas isn’t worth the hassle
5. The art of patience
“He that can have patience can have what he will.” Is a quote attributed to ex-US President Benjamin Franklin, and whilst I don’t think he was talking about sneaking into the San Siro or Camp Nou, his words should be listened to by any fan wanting a free ticket.
Using one of the earlier strategies, sneak into a stadium the day before with less security present, find a spot to hide out, or keep on the move, playing a game of night-time cat and mouse with what security is roaming.
Wait overnight and until fans start piling in, appear out of your spot and you will be free to explore the stadium and find a vacant seat, left by someone who couldn’t make it on he day.
This was the strategy taken by a pair of Belgian tiktokers, who overnighted in the toilets at the Allianz Arena and was able to watch PSG defeat Inter Milan in the Champions League Final.
Posting their adventure to TikTok, I wouldn’t be suprised if more people try and adopt this technique, although if too many viral TikToks are posted, then security may become alert of this tactic, making the strategy useless.
6. The art of humiliation
If you aren’t someone with a criminal mindset, how far would you be willing to go to get a free ticket legally. This was tested by Southampton in 2003, when they found themselves in the Fa cup semi-final.
Saints ran a campaign challenging what fans would be willing to do to watch the game, the competition was won by a man named Brian Percey
Percey was willing to clean the stadiums toilets and players boots with nothing but a toothbrush and the shirt on his back, what was that shirt? The Portsmouth home kit.
Would you be willing to degrade yourself for a ticket? I doubt any Southampton fans would be lining up with a toothbrush in hand for a chance to see the Saints this season, the more likely scenario is trying to keep fans from sneaking out.
In conclusion, paying for a ticket is the easiest way to watch a game, and should be the only way, whilst there are many ways to try and get into the stands, the chance of success is less than stellar, maybe watching in the pub is the better option after all.
