Ever broken into a football ground?

[Shizuoka Dolphin]

And I'm not talking the boycot game at the Goldstone! Well, I would count this if I'd have broken in that day, but I wasn't there becuase I BOYCOTTED IT.

While staying in Torqauy earlier this year, I led my friends on a mission to break into Plainmoore - how hard could it be? Some ramshackle old ground - should have been easy to get in with our football for kick about, but no - it like bloody Fort Knox. Right spoiled my fun it did. So has anyone managed to get inside a ground worth being in? And how long was it till the groundsman turned up to chase you off with his rake in hand, shaking it furiously as you and your mates scarper?

 

[Bozza]

Not a break-in - more of a walk in after Darlington away (we lost 2-0 and were staring the conference in the face) in '97. With my then girlfriend (now wife), we carried on North and had a Saturday night out in Newcastle.

The next day, bleary-eyed we thought we'd take a look at St.James Park so we drove to the ground, parked up and walked around the outside. We found an open exit door and walked in and found ourselves at pitch level in what was (and is) an awesome looking ground. We wandered around for a bit before we were accosted by a BBC security guy. Turns out they had filmed for Match of the Day and had kept their kit in place to show Newcastle live in the UEFA Cup that following mid-week.

"Sorry, you've got to get out of here", he said.

"Sorry mate, we've driven about 400 miles so thought we'd take a look if we could", I replied.

"More Brighton fans", he countered, "let me show you around."

Turns out we were far from the first Albion fans to sneak in that morning and the bloke was well impressed at how many of us had made the trip.

 

[Italiaseagull]

On the way back from the LDV match at Bournemouth 3 years ago, I got stuck in Pompey, so I decided to break into Fratton Park in order to have a piss!

 

[Wilts]

Managed a "walk in" at Millmoor in 2001 in the Div 2 season where Rovrum came 2nd above us in 3rd. The stewards came around after half an hour or so and asked us for our VIP passes. To which we showed 'em a Royals season ticket and were ejected, only to come back in 30 seconds later when they turned their backs.

Not too clever oop there it seems.

But then, I did think that on the way, Don Valley was some fella's name, so I can hardly talk.

 

[Italiaseagull]

But then, I did think that on the way, Don Valley was some fella's name, so I can hardly talk.

That's priceless!

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Had an almost identical encounter to Bozza as well when a mate and I just strolled through a gate at Ibrox and straight onto the pitch. We were spotted by a groundsman who headed straight for us and turned out to be a top bloke and we stood there with him telling us tales of 'Celtic scum' ripping out the seats and lobbing them on the pitch a few weeks before. Being at ground level and looking up at the stands was impressive, and for a freebie as well. On the same trip we also walked into Meadowbank Thistle (not hard) and Stirling Albion's grounds with no bother.

 

[perseus]

Somebody leant aginst against a corrugated fence at Spotland, and anybody who wanted to do could get it for free.

At Brisbane Road, there was a ladder by the main road, where anybody who felt inclined could climb up the ladder and get in for nought.

 

[fatboy]

Barnet away this year.

But they saw me and I had to pay.

 

[The Maharajah of Sydney]

Me and a mate of mine broke into the Goldstone , circa 73' .
With tools pinched from woodwork class at school earlier in the
day , we raided the hut in the N.W. corner of the ground . Made off with dozens of silk scarves and over 500 key rings .
Trouble was ; because we were blindly grabbing stuff in the dark , it wasn't until we got home that we realised that only 1 of
the scarves was an Albion one and 400 of the key rings were
bloody Celtic ! Still , managed to shift all the gear in the playground over the course of the following 2 weeks .
Then there was the barrell of beer that we smuggled out of the
Dog Track ....., but that's another story .

 

[Juan Albion]

Walked into Benfica's Stadium of Light in about 1970. Fantastic ground. Have pictures of me as a nipper standing by one of the goals.

Finally got chased out by some latin-type shouting something which might have been "Come and sign for us, we'll give you 10 million escudos" but probably wasn't.

 

[Seagull over NZ]

A school away trip to watch the badmintion championships at Wembley arena - a few mates and I were bored so we wandered over to Wembley stadium. Just climbed over the turnstiles and before we realised it we had managed to walk down the tunnel. We were stopped by a groundsman who asked us what we were doing. He then proceded to let us have a look around the dressing rooms and stuff but he didn't allow us to run around on the pitch like we wanted. STill, top visit !

 

[SK1NT]

selhurst park last season!

wimbledon brighton!

i thought a game with wimbledon would be easy to get tickets, but nope. It was a pay before the game affair and the gorund only had about 3,000 fans in there total! there was hundreds of brighton fans thinking that they could buy a a ticket on the gate, but security wasnt having none of it!

so after spending the first half wondering around the ground trying to get in, i eventually got in, over a wall and through a lounge opening up on the terraces!

shame we lost 2-0

 

[fatbadger]

Slavia Prague's ground:

I always try to visit matches or grounds wherever I go - but they wouldn't let me in and there was no game due when I was there. So I came back later and scrambled over the fence. It was quite eerie - beling alone at night in a large stadium with a winter mist hovering over the pitch.


Karakol's ground:

Not really a break-in, more of a walk-in (right through the changing rooms and out through the tunnel). Got to see them beaten 3-2 by Issyk-Kul Bishkek, but I did also get to see one of the best goals I have ever seen - a 35/40 yarder that went like a bullet.

 

[Bwian]

Me and a mate of mine broke into the Goldstone , circa 73' .
With tools pinched from woodwork class at school earlier in the
day , we raided the hut in the N.W. corner of the ground . Made off with dozens of silk scarves and over 500 key rings .
Trouble was ; because we were blindly grabbing stuff in the dark , it wasn't until we got home that we realised that only 1 of
the scarves was an Albion one and 400 of the key rings were
bloody Celtic ! Still , managed to shift all the gear in the playground over the course of the following 2 weeks .
Then there was the barrell of beer that we smuggled out of the
Dog Track ....., but that's another story .

And they shipped you to Australia for that? Fcuking 'ell!

 

[mk_bha]

broke into Lancings Culver Road when i was 16 to get jiggy with a slag in the home dug out.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I was in Halifax a few years back and their ground was so crappy and decrepit you could drive your car in and down the bank behind one goal on to the pitch.

 

[Shizuoka Dolphin]

I was in Halifax a few years back and their ground was so crappy and decrepit you could drive your car in and down the bank behind one goal on to the pitch.

This is just what I was hoping for in Torquay! No such luck - 10 foot high walls and metal gates all the way round, barbed wire, bloody cameras everywhere... as I commented at the time, it must be to keep all their fans from getting out.


Boom, and indeed, boom.

 

[Crete Seagull]

Dont post on here a great deal...but had to on this....back in the mid seventies me and a mate (Drunk) had a similr idea to Cheshire....we managed to get into the Goldstone with a plastic ball and take it in turns to score a goal in front of the north stand and then made quick exit....

 

[Braders]

On the way back from the LDV match at Bournemouth 3 years ago, I got stuck in Pompey, so I decided to break into Fratton Park in order to have a piss!

i also weed ( as did many of my mates) on fratton park (outside of course) does that count!

 

[Guinness Boy]

Managed a "walk in" at Millmoor in 2001 in the Div 2 season where Rovrum came 2nd above us in 3rd. The stewards came around after half an hour or so and asked us for our VIP passes. To which we showed 'em a Royals season ticket and were ejected, only to come back in 30 seconds later when they turned their backs.

Not too clever oop there it seems.

But then, I did think that on the way, Don Valley was some fella's name, so I can hardly talk.

A mate of mine who used to go away with us had a habit of pretending to be a mid Sussex journo and getting press passes. At Rotherhan he managed this to perfection and got in the press box for the game. The piece de resistance was the fact he was wearing an Addidas coat beloved of reserve team coaches.

We won 1-0 at Milmoor with a Codner goal in front of us and at the end of the game this bloke comes striding down fron the press box to meet the rest of us. The team are applauding us and he joins them and gets his hand shook by one bloke who thought he was part of the BHA backroom team. All the time the Rotherham stewards don't have a clue!

Also one time had a quick kick about in Plough Lane after a lads session at Wimbledon dogs. It was two seasons after Wimbledon left though and was apparently a regular passtime according to my WFC mate.