A father’s plan to take his son to Wembley was ruined by a fake ticket scam, leaving them both devastated.
Reece had to tell his son Cruz they could not go. Reece is from Killingworth and told the local news he felt angry. Reece said the trip was going to be a dream, and he cared more about the trip than the money. He felt bad telling Cruz the bad news; he did not understand how someone could do this.
Reece paid £295 for the tickets online through a friend recommendation. Knowing it was risky he waited to tell his son. After some emails, he booked a hotel, and Cruz was very excited about the trip. They planned to spend days in London.
Taking Cruz to Wembley meant a lot to Reece, who had struggled with addiction and thought about suicide in February 2023, when Newcastle last played in the final. He turned his life around afterwards and will celebrate two years sober soon. Watching Cruz play football helped Reece recover, and sharing his love of football mattered to him. The Wembley trip was a treat for Cruz and celebrated Reece’s progress.
Last week, Reece found out the tickets were fake after seeing it on Facebook, making him feel very angry and frustrated. He then had to tell Cruz about Liverpool, and Cruz cried when he heard the news. Reece was worried about the March 16 match.
Reece tried to explain the situation well, and Cruz did not fully understand at first. Reece got his £295 back from the seller, but other fans still have not received refunds. Police are aware of the ticket scam, and they passed details to fraud experts. No one is under arrest currently.