AN angry Saints fan is demanding the Football Association take action against one of its members who sold a precious cup final ticket, which turned up on the black market for £450.

Lifelong supporter Adam Sharpe, 20, bought the ticket in a Cardiff pub and was horrified to see it covered in official Sussex FA stamps.

He is upset genuine fans missed out on their big day while officials are selling on unwanted tickets for big prices.

The discovery comes days after an unnamed supporter was banned from St Mary's for life after trying to sell his ticket on the black market. The greedy fan had put it up for auction on an Internet site but was traced and banned as a warning to others.

Adam, of Viney Avenue, Romsey, said: "I was a season ticket holder for six years but I gave it up to do refereeing. Then they get in the final. I was delighted Saints got there but gutted because I didn't have a ticket.

"I went anyway and I was going to watch it in a pub, but I was so caught up in the atmosphere I decided I had to get a ticket. I wrote on a piece of paper 'ticket needed' and wandered around until a tout said he could get me one.

"I paid £450 and I was happy to pay anything, but I was annoyed that there were people with tickets making a tidy profit out of genuine fans there. My feelings are really unprintable."

Adam, who is an air service agent for P&O, wants to see action from the FA.

"I think the FA need to look into their ticketing allocations. Questions have to be asked about how people can get away with this," he said.

The FA was unavailable for comment.