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

March 12, 2026

TL;DR

A fan holding a ticket for Newcastle United vs. Barcelona mistakenly went to Exeter City's St James Park instead of Newcastle's St James' Park.
The two stadiums are 366 miles apart and have vastly different capacities.
Exeter City staff realized the error, explained it to the fan, and gave him a seat for their match against Lincoln City.
The fan, who reportedly didn't speak much English, seemed devastated by the mistake.
He left Exeter's stadium before the second half, and his current whereabouts and actions are unknown.
There is some skepticism about the story, but Exeter City staff believe the language barrier was a key factor.
The difference between the two stadium names (St James Park vs. St James' Park) is suggested as a possible cause for the error.

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