Fervent football fans may well expect camaraderie and boisterous chanting from the terraces of packed stadia.
But one Scot found himself completely alone in the away end of a match in Italy’s Serie A league featuring Napoli V Atalanta.
Steven Faughnan travelled from his Edinburgh home to watch the match in Naples but found himself having to create his own atmosphere after police banned anyone with certain postcodes attending.
The 36-year-old supports Atalanta, which is based in Bergamo, Lombardy, and watched them win 3-0 against Napoli on Sunday – all while sitting on his own.
Steven Faughnan was the only fan allowed into the away end at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples
The 36-year-old Atalanta fan enjoyed his side beating their hosts by three goals
The authorities banned anyone with a Lombardy postcode from attending
Police rules meant he had the entire away section of Stadio Diego Armando Maradona to himself.
Due to public safety concerns, anyone with a Lombardy postcode had been barred from buying tickets to the match – but Mr Faughnan used his Edinburgh address to get his seat.
There’s a history of violence between ultras groups of both clubs.
Mr Faughan said he was aware of the unique situation before buying a ticket – and says he tried to keep the home side spirit alive despite the empty seats.
Scenes from the last time Atalanta travelled to Napoli
He added: ‘I got lucky I was able to buy a ticket and was treated to a wonderful Atalanta performance. It’s just sad that life long fans from Bergamo could not experience it live.
‘I had this week booked off from work for the last 6 months with the intention of going to any games that Atalanta were playing.
‘It was an amazing experience being a solo away fan in such a big stadium. I did try to make some noise but it was difficult!’ He became a fan of the team after meeting fans at a Hibernian game in 2016 – and since then, he and partner Lauren have become regular visitors to Bergamo.
The fan added: ‘I’ve been to around 24 Atalanta games and met so many nice people who are always so helpful.’