PANDEMONIUM reigned outside the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday as frustrated ticket holders stormed the entrances and jumped fences in a cat-and-mouse game with cops and security personnel in a desperate attempt to gain entry on the final day of the annual ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships.

The fans — who held Grandstand and Bleachers tickets as well as season band passes — expressed anger and disappointment triggered by news that the stadium was filled to capacity and could accommodate no more patrons.

According to the patrons, the gates had been closed from around 4:00 pm. But this did not deter the large gathering of ticket holders who were hell-bent on entering.

“This is madness,” said one man. “I can’t stay out here. I paid $3,500 for my ticket.”

For a while, police and security guards had some success repelling attempts by patrons to scale the fence to get in.

A cop at one of the gates tried calming the angry patrons.

But as a gate was opened to allow a car to enter next to a main entrance, a group of patrons broke through and ran inside before the officers could secure the gate.

Others managed to get inside, gaining access through restrooms. The police caught on and that access was quickly blocked. Undeterred, some resorted to jumping through holes in the fences. The police quickly descended on them.

“I have a season band with an assigned seat, my seat is inside there. Why can’t I get in?” one woman asked a policeman as she pressed against a fence.

The policeman told her that the security personnel holding gate had let in people with season bands.

“How did I get myself into this mess?” she pondered aloud.

A schoolgirl who was decked out in purple and white attire broke down in tears.

“I am here from 4:30 with my ticket. This is not fair,” she cried.

Adamant that they would get inside the stadium, patrons formed a long line and marched to the gate in front of the National Arena.

After nightfall, some patrons who had Grandstand tickets were allowed inside.

“What about we weh have Bleachers ticket?” one women asked. She was told by a policeman that they would be “dealt with later”.

However, those with Bleachers tickets never got the chance to enter the stadium. On realising that they would get no closer to the action inside, they stormed the gate leading to the Bleachers. Several of them were able to get inside.

Some young men quickly raced up the mound to the wall and scaled it. One of them jumped over the wall and appeared to have landed successfully inside the stadium. However, he quickly returned over the wall to the outside.

A policeman mounted on a horse, and who had been patrolling the perimeter wall, quickly rushed up the mound as more young men tried desperately to jump the wall.

One young man fell off the top of the wall and was held by police officers, who bound him with his shoelace and a belt and held him outside the Grandstand entrance where he was told to sit on the dirty floor.

“Your parents will have to come to the station and get you tonight,” an inspector was overheard telling him.

Those who had rushed inside for a short while were chased outside by the mounted police officers.

Some time after, PM Prime Minster Portia Simpson Miller was seen being transported inside the stadium. This further enraged one woman.

“All Portia, she cyaan get my vote,” the woman said. “A bare foreigner pack up in deh and we weh live yah cyaan go inside.”

Another woman said: “This not fair, after wi buy wi ticket.”

Attempts yesterday to get a comment from the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association were unsuccessful.