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It was while he was queuing for tickets outside a Premier League ground that Everton fan Peter Farrell’s love of the game changed forever.

A passionate Blue since he was a boy, that day sparked his crusade against the big clubs and their treatment of grass roots supporters.

“I was standing there waiting to buy two tickets when this man in a suit turned up from an authorised body to collect 20 complimentary ones,” he recalls. “Everyone knows that kind of thing exists but I just felt 20 was taking the mickey when you’ve got genuine fans standing there to pay.

“That was the catalyst that made me want to highlight the total disrespect which I think has existed for a long time.”

Peter, from Bebington, set himself a challenge to gain free entry into every Premier League stadium in a bid to expose not just the injustice of corporate hand-outs, but rocketing ticket prices and replica kit costs.

He had to think up as many different ways as possible, from donning a tracksuit and dressing up as a coach to pretending to be a journalist and walking in amongst the entourage of famous people. Some grounds were more difficult to access than others, he admits, but each one had its own story.

And it was his various experiences along the way which prompted the 55-year-old to write a book.

Give The Fans Sweet FA documents his adventure, one which saw him cross paths with some of the biggest names in the game including Sir Alex Ferguson and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

(Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)

Peter says he was prompted to pen it by fellow fans across the world.

“I’ve met supporters from USA, Canada, South Africa, India, Saudi Arabia and many more countries and they all feel the same way,” he says. “I never really intended to write a book, but then I started working off-shore on oil rigs and that gave me the perfect opportunity and environment to do it.”

He began three years ago, although the audacious protest dates back to the late 90s. But it wasn’t hard to remember the facts, he says, not least because some of the exploits were so risky.

“It proved to be the biggest challenge of my life,” he smiles. “I was absolutely terrified each and every time but what enabled me to do it was I felt like I had this psychological armour because I was on a mission. I knew right was on my side and that’s what gave me the courage to do it because I felt justified. Once the protest was over I could never have done it, but at the back of my mind I knew fans were getting ripped off and I knew somebody had to expose that and do something about it.”

One of Peter’s extra goals was to obtain a signed football from every Premier League club that he managed to get into, then auction them off with the proceeds raised going to Children in Need.

“Although obviously at the time I couldn’t tell them what I was doing,” he says. “There was only a small group of friends who were in on it.”

Since Give The Fans Sweet FA came out Peter says it’s attracted huge interest across the world, not just from fans but from everyone who shares his sense of injustice. He’s even been in talks about turning it into a film.

“I think the reason is we all feel the same,” he says. “If there’s no football fan there’s no game, it’s as simple as that. But the real fans are increasingly being totally and utterly excluded, they’re struggling to afford the prices for everything and the football authorities don’t seem to care what backsides are sitting on their seats as long as they’re paying top dollar to do it.

“I’m still as passionate about it now as I was when I made the protest and I think it’s time for fans to unite because it really can’t go on. If we’re ever going to achieve anything we need to work together, like the Hillsborough families proved, because they don’t listen to individuals.”

Give The Fans Sweet FA is available on Amazon.