"Hermit" Found Living Under Seats In Aston Villa Stadium

He's being called the "terrace tramp" and the "hermit of the Holte End." He was either homeless or pathologically devoted to Aston Villa. He managed to avoid guards and security cameras while building a cardboard shelter in the guts of the stadium, even as thousands of fans packed the Premier League venue. He is nothing short of a footie folk hero:

Despite high-tech CCTV systems scanning most of the 42,000-seater ground and an army of security guards on round-the-clock duty, the terrace tramp managed to stay undetected until a routine sweep of the stadium by groundstaff, according to club insiders.

The club has said it has no record of the incident, but security officers are believed to be investigating how he managed to enter and leave the ground without arousing suspicion.

The bearded man, a UK passport holder in his late 30s or 40s, had constructed his secret hideaway using discarded cardboard and other waste items. It is not known how long he was in the ground.

It is thought he was able to sneak into the stadium during darkness without being seen and leave his hideout before staff arrived for work the following morning. He obtained food by forcing his way into kiosks inside the stand and obtaining scraps from items left by supporters on matchdays.

The homeless man, who was apparently well-known by drinkers at pubs around the stadium, has now vanished from the area.

Wanderers might want to check their tunnels.

Aston Villa: Homeless man found living under the Holte End stand in 'Shanty town' house [Birmingham Mail]