Confused Arsenal Fan Purchases Expensive Tickets, Discovers They Are for a Famous Forward
A fan has reported that he bought two tickets for an Arsenal match, only to find out they were originally issued for free to player Gabriel Martinelli.
Nathan Shaw, 51, spent £350 on tickets that were marked as “Player Complimentary.”
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The tickets were for seated areas in the away section during Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Leicester on Saturday.
After acquiring the tickets, Nathan received a phone call from a club representative letting him know that they were intended for injured Brazilian striker Martinelli, 23, who has a weekly salary of £180,000.
However, Arsenal sources later confirmed that Martinelli had not requested to use the tickets.
The tickets were pooled centrally and handed over to a contractor who had requested them. Nathan, who works as a sales manager from Hawkhurst, Kent, purchased the tickets through the website Livefootballtickets for £175 each.
He was unable to find two of the 3,200 available seats in the away end for himself and his friend Cillian Oliver when Arsenal’s allocation of £30 tickets sold out.
Nathan, a season ticket holder for home games, received instructions from the site to collect the tickets at a designated location at the stadium prior to the match and to bring identification.
The communication referenced a club staff member.
Our source indicated that the contractor had released the tickets to a friend who subsequently sold them on the website.
Nathan stated: “I was ecstatic to receive the tickets but was shocked when I picked them up to find they were clearly complimentary ones assigned to a player.
“I also got a call before the match, and the representative informed me they were Martinelli’s.
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“I don’t blame Martinelli, and I suspect he simply opted not to use them, thus allowing someone else to sell them. I doubt he needs the money.”
There’s no sign of any wrongdoing on Martinelli’s part, as he did not make the journey to the Midlands.
Arsenal and the ticketing site were contacted for comments.
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