He was supposed to watch a Champions League match, but ended up at a third-division game instead. A fan of FC Barcelona discovered that one small detail in navigation can change a football journey by… almost 600 kilometres.

St James’ Park in Newcastle and St James Park in Exeter

Although both venues have almost identical names, they are located in completely different parts of England. St James' Park is located in the north-east of the country and is the home of Newcastle United. Meanwhile, St James Park is located in the south-western county of Devon and serves as the stadium of Exeter City FC, which plays in the third tier of English football.

The distance between the two stadiums is about 589 kilometres. A car journey from Exeter to Newcastle takes more than six hours. The Barcelona fan began his trip in London and planned to travel to Newcastle for the match. However, when entering the destination into his phone, he typed only St James Park. The navigation system directed him to the stadium in Exeter, and unaware of the mistake, he simply followed the directions provided by the application.

The error became apparent only when the fan arrived at the gates of St James Park and attempted to enter the Adam Stansfield Stand. Stadium staff quickly realised that something was wrong. One of the volunteers informed the office of Exeter City FC about a supporter who had arrived intending to watch a Barcelona match.

© Heather Ormsby | St James Park, Exeter 

According to Adam Spencer, who is responsible for fan relations at the club, the supporter was clearly surprised and embarrassed by the situation. His knowledge of English was limited, but from the conversation it was clear that he had travelled from London and had simply followed the navigation instructions.

Exeter City invited the Barcelona fan to their match

Instead of sending the disappointed fan away, the club’s staff decided to help him. Exeter City FC provided him with a ticket for the league match taking place at the stadium that same evening. The match in Exeter was between the home team and Lincoln City FC in the EFL League One competition. As a result, the Barcelona fan was still able to watch a live football match—although not the one he had originally planned to attend.

Representatives of Exeter City later emphasised that the supporter is always welcome at the stadium and can return there in the future. The club described the whole story on social media as a tale of two cities and two very different stadiums.

© Mark Walker | St. James’ Park 

Newcastle United – FC Barcelona ended in a draw

While the supporter was watching a match in Exeter, the actual game between Newcastle United and FC Barcelona was taking place at St James' Park in Newcastle. The match ended in a 1–1 draw. The equalising goal for Barcelona was scored late in the game by Lamine Yamal, leaving the qualification open ahead of the return leg in Barcelona.