Exclusive:'Great fun' - Leeds United fan reveals how he managed to watch Brentford draw from an apartment balcony
Chris Smith had an interesting vantage point as he watched his beloved Leeds United secure a point away at Brentford.
High above the packed-out away end was an apartment balcony decorated with Leeds flags and a small group of spectators who had not had to buy tickets.
Sky Sports cameras panned to the balcony during the game, which ended 1-1 after Dominic Calvert-Lewin cancelled out Jordan Henderson’s opener.
It was not the first time fans had been seen watching a Brentford game from overlooking balconies, but people were left wondering how Leeds fans had managed to secure the spot.
Balcony view explained
Speaking to The Yorkshire Post, Chris, 62, explained how he ended up on the balcony with his wife Helen and three friends.
He said: "My daughter actually lives in that flat - she's lived there since about May. They looked round it and loved the idea of being able to see the Brentford pitch.
“She's a Leeds fan - her fella's an Arsenal fan. They were looking forward to the match, we've all being waiting for the fixtures to come out since they got it.”
Bridesmaid duties called for his daughter Imogen and she was unable to cheer on Daniel Farke’s side from her London home.
Chris, however, did not pass up the opportunity to enjoy a unique matchday experience.
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Caught on camera
He said: "We said 'well we can go'. We drove down, parked up, went for Sunday lunch and then set our flags up. It was me, my wife and three people who had been at the wedding.
"We were there from before the build-up started, watching what was going on out on the pitch. We were right above the Leeds corner so couldn't see the Leeds fans unfortunately. It would've been nice to see a few Leeds fans - but we could certainly hear them.
"It was just great fun. What was funniest was that when we were on Sky, we were streaming the match on the telly inside the flat. The streams are behind so suddenly, everyone's phone was going off. [Everyone was saying] 'we've just see you on telly'. That was quite funny.”
Balcony benefits
The balcony spectators did not actually see Calvert-Lewin head home the equaliser due to the slightly restricted view.
While they may not have been able to see the entire pitch, there were some benefits to being high above the stadium.
Chris, a Leeds fan of 55 years from Roundhay, said: "Obviously Calvert-Lewin scored a great header, we couldn't actually see it but boy could we hear it. We knew what had happened.
“It's quite nice as an experience for a variety of reasons. When there's VAR going on, you can jump inside and watch it on TV.
“Plus, of course, you can have a drink which you can't do in sight of the pitch normally. It was nice to see the players come out, have a look around, do their warm-up, do their warm-down at the end, knowing you haven't got anywhere to travel. You're just there.”