England fan banned for dressing room visit

THE fan who walked into England’s dressing room and ranted at the dejected players was charged with trespassing yesterday and banned from World Cup matches.

Pavlos Joseph, a 32-year-old Manchester United fan from Crystal Palace, London, was released on bail after appearing in court in Cape Town.

Joseph had told a Sunday newspaper he was looking for a toilet after England’s goalless draw against Algeria on Friday night when a security guard sent him in the direction of the players’ tunnel at the Green Point Stadium.

After taking a wrong turn he found himself in the changing room where he came face to face with David Beckham.

Joseph said he told Beckham: “David, we’ve spent a lot of money getting here. This is a disgrace. What are you going to do about it?” He also claimed he turned to the players and said: “That was woeful.”

Joseph was arrested at his hotel on Sunday morning. South African Police Service spokeswoman Brigadier Sally de Beer said he was released on 500 rand (€54) bail and banned from future World Cup matches.

He is due back in court today to stand trial.

The dressing room incident prompted the Football Association to make an official complaint to World Cup organisers FIFA who promised to tighten security.

Joseph told the Sunday Mirror that when Beckham asked him who he was, he had responded: “I’m Pavlos and I actually need the toilet.”

He said he then addressed the players, who were sitting on benches with towels around their waists.

“I told them, ‘that was woeful and not good enough’. The room was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. The players’ chins were on their chests – they looked pretty ashamed.”

Before his arrest, Joseph claimed he had handed his business card to a FIFA official who escorted him out of the dressing room.

At an FA reception in Johannesburg at the weekend, Beckham played down the incident.

Beckham said: “Obviously it’s been blown out of all proportion as well.

“The actual fan literally just walked in very casually and just said something to me and then walked out – there was no scuffle, there was no aggression at all.”