Irish fan conned his way into Estonia’s manager dug-out at Aviva game

Donned visiting team's kit and breezed past security

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Ireland's team players celebrate their goal against Estonia during their Euro 2012 qualifying soccer match in Tallinn, Estonia, Friday, Nov. 11, 2011.

Photo by AP Photo/Timur Nisametdinov

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Maybe he took a lesson from Obi Wan Kenobi, but soccer fan Conor Cunningham didn't need to use the Force to con security.

Ticketless but desperate to see his national team play Estonia, the enterprising 27 year old hatched a daring plan: he 'borrowed' an official Estonia tracksuit and breezed into the stadium, we he scored a ringside seat in the manager's dugout.

And not just for any game either.

Sitting literally next to the Estonian manager Tarmo Ruutli, he found himself enjoying the best seat he'd ever seen.

'I was just determined to see the match - 11 of us arrived in Tallin for the game and we were being quoted $809.00 for tickets,' the Corkman told the Irish Independent.

'In the end, 10 of us got into the stadium - but I definitely got the best story and photos.'

First Cunningham pretended he was a security guard to gain admission to the grounds but the plan didn't work, but he found himself at a doorway that led to a room full of footballs and one Estonian tracksuit in his size.

Thinking fast he put it on and walked straight past the security guards into the stadium and on to the pitch.

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'I didn't know what to do, to be honest, so I thought I'd better go into the Estonian dug-out. No one said anything to me and then I realized I was sitting beside their manager,' Cunningham said.

'It was about 10 or 15 minutes into the match when a UEFA official got suspicious of me. He came over and, after talking to me, told me I had to move.'

Cunningham chose the half-way line, the best vantage point in the stadium.

'When the match was over and Ireland had qualified, I said I'd chance my arm and I walked out on to the pitch. I celebrated with the players, shook hands with them all and even asked a few could I have their jerseys.'

'They were all really nice - they apologized and said they'd already promised the jerseys to friends and family. But Keith Andrews said I could have his - though I didn't get to see him again after they went into the dressing room,' Cunningham said.

'I tried to record the whole thing on my camera phone because I knew my friends would never believe it. I could hardly believe it myself,' he added.

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