UFC star Paddy Pimblett has found himself at the center of a costly situation involving his friend, former England and Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster. The incident occurred during a Premier League match between Watford and Liverpool couple seasons ago.
Back in the 2021/22 season, Liverpool traveled to Watford’s Vicarage Road with the hope of keeping pace with Manchester City in the title race. At the time, Foster was the goalkeeper for the Hornets, and he decided to extend a kind gesture to Pimblett by providing him with four tickets to the game.
However, there was one condition attached to the tickets – Pimblett had to keep a low profile and refrain from causing any disruptions, as he would be sitting in the Watford end. Unfortunately, Pimblett couldn’t resist the temptation to celebrate when Liverpool scored, much to the dismay of the home supporters.
“[Pimblett] and his mates jump up – we are in the family and friends enclosure – goal goes in a couple of minutes later, [he jumps up again. Not going mental, but jumped up. Steward comes over and says ‘We are going to have to ask you to leave, you’ll get murdered if you stay in here doing that’,” explained Foster’s co-host, Tom Ochoa.
After being ejected from the stadium, Pimblett took to social media to express his frustration, stating: “Thanks Fozzy lad for the tickets, I love you, but Watford you’re a c**p club” and adding that he hoped the team would be relegated.
The aftermath of the incident proved to be costly for Foster, as he revealed that he was fined a week’s wages, which amounted to approximately $150,000, for the disruption caused by Pimblett’s actions.
“I got a week’s fine for that, I got done a week’s wages. Lovely. $150k you owe me, Paddy,” Foster said.
The incident serves as a cautionary tale for athletes and celebrities who receive free tickets to sporting events. While the gesture may seem generous, it comes with the responsibility of respecting the rules and regulations of the venue, as well as the sentiments of the home supporters.
As the old saying goes, “there’s no such thing as a free lunch,” and in this case, Pimblett’s actions have resulted in a hefty price tag for his friend, Ben Foster.
