FOOTIE fan Ian Nutter built a £5,000 six-seater stand in his back garden to watch his favourite team over the fence — even though tickets are £7.
Ian, 64, launched the six-week project when he saw a grandson straining to get a better view of Barnoldswick Town in action.
He said: “There’s a 12ft drop [over the fence] so I decided to build a structure where he could watch safely.”
Ian has a bit of experience — he owns an architectural metalwork company whose customers have included Manchester United.
He went on: “I started off by just building a platform but then I put my engineering head on. It’s got a steel sub-frame, wooden deck floor, panelled sides, a roof and toughened glass on the front.”
And he and his family can now watch North West Counties League Premier Division games from seats he sourced from Burnley FC when the Championship club had an upgrade.
Ian added: “Most people don’t see me sat there but some of the away supporters sometimes look at me in bewilderment. It’s a great position to watch football.”
The fan, whose company until recently sponsored one Barnoldswick FC’s stands, asked the club’s chairman before building the stand.
This week a photograph of Ian sitting in his stand during Town’s 4-1 defeat to Bury went viral.
Fan Mat Anderson posted: “Welcome to non-league football. Bloke with his own stand in his back garden at Barnoldswick.”
Barnoldswick Town currently sit 15th in the North West Counties League Premier Division, where admission to home games is £7 and a season ticket costs £90.
Ian and his company Metalcraft Engineering have experience helping build football stadiums, with his firm previously working on Manchester United’s Old Trafford ground and will soon begin installing architectural metalwork at Everton’s new £800m stadium.
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