Thread by @dBWFC1

As it is the 10th anniversary of that day at Stoke, I thought I would share what happened to me that day.
I couldn’t get a #BWFC ticket for the game but decided to go down there anyway and see if I could get hold of one around The Britannia. Continued below...

No luck, I went back to my car and listened to the 1st half on the radio. I could see the ground and hear the crowd and thought just before half time I would take my chances and try to sneak in. Checking a few doors, turnstiles, no luck..

I was around the green dot and spotted some Stoke fans outside having a smoke, it appeared they intentionally allowed this to prevent people smoking on the concourse. I knew this was my chance so I headed out of sight to yellow dot

and down through the bushes and grass verge that ran parallel to the railway line. Red dot gave me a good vantage point. Scaling the fence like peak Colin Jackson I used the parked cars to edge closer to the smokers entrance.

Using skills they probably teach in SAS training I managed to get in the ground. The 2nd half was about to kick-off and knew the next challenge would be to find a seat. Up the steps I find myself on the halfway line

the place is packed, not a single seat anywhere. Looking lost I spot a seat down behind the BWFC dugout, I confidently approach the empty seat at the end of the row and see Ricardo Gardner sat in the next seat along

“Hi Ricky, I am a big Bolton fan, I just sneaked in, can I sit here?”… “yeah, no problem”. Made it! But then the Stoke fans spotted what happened and start hurling dogs abuse at me, one of them grassed me up to a nearby steward...

“that four eyed specy £$%t is a Bolton fan”… so over comes the steward… “have you got a ticket mate?”… I respond “I am a club official, I only arrived at half time, Ricky can confirm”… (fingers really crossed at this point)…

“yeah, he’s with us”, Ricky responded. And that was that, I was there to stay. Of course, what happened on the pitch happened, then the FT whistle went. The Stoke fans were loving it, I was sh!tting myself,

Knowing if I turned around I would likely get filled in and get my glasses broken. So, I decided to live the lie and amidst all the other Bolton players and officials in “my” row I decide to join them heading down towards the dugout and the pitch...

Dressed in chinos (they were a thing back then) and a check shirt (the one I was wearing was never a thing), I was on the pitch, consoling all the players, nobody batting an eyelid and surprisingly the players accepting my commiserations, hugs and handshakes…

At this point you probably think I am lying. I have lost one piece of vital evidence which maybe retrieval on an old phone – the pics from the seat behind the dugout and an unsolicited selfie with Ricky G.
However, I managed to find some press images on Google and a video...

On YouTube which provides irrefutable evidence that it is all true. Below I present:
Exhibit A: Me in said awful shirt embracing Nigel Reo-Coker on the pitch. (Credit @Lolgriffiths/@GettyImages)

and B: A YouTube video of me pretending to be an injured footballer dressed in non-club attire applauding the Bolton fans and further consoling players. Here is the link:

As I walked down the tunnel I contemplated going for the dressing room but decided to keep walking, eventually found the players entrance, walked out the front doors of the Britannia and back to my car. End.

Disclaimer: the phone I had at the time fell into the North Sea whilst I was on a boat taking photos of the Scottish coastline.