IT began as the belated Christmas present of his dreams for Watchet schoolboy Tom Sherburn – and quickly turned into his worst-ever nightmare.

A long-time supporter of Southampton Football Club, a Christmas present voucher from his father gave him the chance to watch his team playing live for the first time … and witness their 9-0 thrashing by Leicester which has made Premier League history!

It was hardly the special day out dad, the Rev Mike Sherburn, minister of Watchet Baptist church, had planned when he and 13-year-old Tom made the four-hour journey to Southampton for Tom’s first-ever visit to St Mary’s.

“He’d waited so long for it. Just walking into the ground you could see his face light up at how fantastic it was going to be with the lights and the crowds and the TV cameras,” Mike said.

“It was wonderful … and that lasted ten minutes!”

But he added that Tom is still a devoted Saints fan: “He wants to go back when they play a team they can beat – like Watford!”

Read Tom’s full story in today’s Free Press.