Every which way but One Direction
After arriving at the FNB Stadium and eventually finding the closest parking which was just short of a one km walk from the stadium itself, I did my walking, scanned my ticket to get in only to be told to use the relevant gate most closely associated with your ticket, however the gates were numbered 1 – 27 “You And I” didn’t know and the relevant number on my ticket was just a “G” so I wouldn’t know where A, B C D E etc would be until I got inside through one of the gates.
Not to be deterred “One Way Or Another” I was getting in – I circumnavigated FNB Stadium until I found my gate which would point me in the right direction so I could actually see 1 Direction.
It turns out that my ticket was not valid at any one of the 27 gates. Then somebody said – you have to find a Verification Booth.
OK – where’s that?
Oh – that’s on the other side of the stadium. Got there and the booth was closed!
So – I kept walking and kept walking until I found a Verification Booth that was open – handed them my tickets and they said; “Oh you are not in the West Wing Golden Circle – you’re actually in the East Wing – you need to verify at a Verification Booth P”.
OK – where’s that?
Oh – all you do is change direction and go to the other side of the stadium. So I changed direction and walked to the other side of the stadium – all the time thinking that my choice to wear smart shoes, jeans and a long sleeve black collared ECR branded shirt had NOT been the best outfit choice!
Suffice to say I made it to the other entrance and that verification booth was also closed so I asked around, again, and was re-directed i.e. change direction for 1 Direction…….quite literally back to the car park where I had parked to please find the marquee, where once I handed my ticket in, I would be given my Golden Circle armband/bracelet. So, I handed in my ticket, received a Bracelet for the WEST Golden Circle standing area.
Time was running out to hear the “Best Song Ever!”
I then made my way back to the entrance and tried to be scanned to now gain access to the stadium – lo and behold – “Not valid for this gate”. So, which gate would this be valid for then?
Oh, that would be gate 22.
Oh OK – so in other words 20 or so plus gates in THAT direction?
Yes Sir – that’s correct.
When I was finally allowed in/gained access – I made my way towards the inside of the stadium, where all the noise and screaming was coming from, and asked how do I get to the standing area in the Golden Circle – showing them my armband? I was beginning to think – “They Don’t Know About Us”
Oh, that would be on the other side of the stadium. My evening was going from bad to worse but you know “Night Changes”
Ok, no worries – I’ve broken a good sweat now; I’m doing my cardio… I didn’t do anything else this weekend so I may as well just enjoy this. “Story Of My Life”
I get to the other side of the stadium and ask again – is this the direction I take to get to the standing area west in the golden circle?
Yes Sir it is, but the entrance is on the other side of the stadium – 4 levels up. You walk down a ramp with a palisade fence on either side of you and then into the standing area itself.
You know what – I’ve done enough changing of 1 Direction so I just stood there and enjoyed my 1 Direction experience in the masses, all the while being shoved from pillar to the next post as more people arrived to fill their seats and take their places for the show.
I think 1 Direction missed a trick here – having just lost Zayne from the band, coming to the FNB Stadium in South Africa – they had a great opportunity to change their name from 1 Direction to Any Direction.
But that wasn’t the worst part. It’s the “Little Things” like how the very, very, very young girls looked at me while I was getting my groove on. They had that – don’t “Steal My Girl” look in their eyes.
In case you missed it: Watch the leaked footage of Darren Maule dancing at the 1D concert here