World Cup Fan on Trial for Entering England Locker Room, Scolding David Beckham

Published November 17, 2014

The England soccer fan who walked into the team's locker room and vented his frustration at players after their disappointing draw against Algeria will be tried for trespass by a South African court on Friday, Sky News reported.

Pavlos Joseph, 32, from Crystal Palace, southeast London was banned from attending future World Cup matches following the incident at Green Point Stadium last Friday.

He told U.K. newspaper the Sunday Mirror that he was looking for a toilet when a security guard sent him in the direction of the players' tunnel.

After taking a wrong turn he found himself in the locker room where he said he told David Beckham: "David, we've spent a lot of money getting here. This is a disgrace. What are you going to do about it?"

At an English Football Association (FA) reception in Johannesburg, Beckham played down the incident, saying it had been "blown out of all proportion."

The former Manchester United star gave a joint interview with Princes William and Harry, who had themselves been in the locker room minutes before the incident.

"Luckily it was after the princes had left -- five to 10 minutes after," Beckham said.

"Obviously it's been blown out of all proportion as well.

"The actual fan literally just walked in very casually and just said something to me and then walked out -- there was no scuffle, there was no aggression at all."

The intrusion prompted the FA to make an official complaint to World Cup organizers FIFA. However, a spokeswoman for the U.K. policing team on the ground in South Africa said a football banning order would not be pursued because the incident was not linked to violent behavior.

Police are also looking into why the man, who was escorted away by a FIFA official, was not handed over to officers but instead released to walk out of the stadium.

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