FOOTBALL fans enjoyed a parking free-for-all in residential streets for Oxford United's home clash against Woking on Boxing Day because of a council mix-up.

Despite a record-breaking crowd arriving on time for the 3pm kick-off, the county council thought it was an evening game and put up the wrong parking restriction signs.

Residential parking in Blackbird Leys, Littlemore and Minchery Farm became a free-for-all when changeable signs imposed match day restrictions around the stadium from 6.30pm - around three hours after kick-off.

More than 11,000 fans turned up for the clash with Woking, making the match the largest attendance in the league's history, and many were allowed to park in residential streets without fear of receiving a fine.

The blunder has frustrated residents in Blackbird Leys who receive free parking permits for event days, but will be forced to pay £40 a year to park outside their homes next year after a decision made by Oxfordshire County Council.

The council has blamed human error and said staff accidentally put out signs for an evening match without checking the time of the kick-off.

Oxford United began their record-breaking match at 3pm yet the parking restrictions ran from 6.30pm until 10.30pm.

Many of the signs remained in place yesterday.

Andy Beal, 48, of Sandy Lane, in Blackbird Leys took a snap of the signs in Knights Road on his mobile phone on his way back from the Boxing Day match.

He said: "Is this what we are going to pay our £40 for? It was madness with cars parked everywhere. Everyone knows what time kick-off is on Boxing Day so is this going to happen in the future when there is an evening concert and they put restrictions on during the day?

"Changing the signs and getting it right is supposedly what we are to be paying for.

"It was the biggest crowd of the season up here with 11,000 people and you need parking restrictions with families visiting who found no where to park because the council had cocked it up.

"You could tell everyone knew what was happening as word got around. Everyone was talking about it in the stands saying they'd be all right until 6.30pm."

The mistake caused parking jams across the estate especially Knights Road and Merlin Road.

In September, Oxfordshire County Council agreed to alter the match day restrictions so that all residents must pay £40 a year to for parking permits which cover event day parking which was opposed by a majority of residents.

Helen Crozier, civil enforcement manager at Oxfordshire County Council said: "It would appear that the parking restriction notice that covers the usual Tuesday night games was put up in error, instead of the notice to cover the Tuesday Boxing Day afternoon match.

"Oxfordshire County Council would like to apologise to any residents in the area who were inconvenienced by this mistake."

The 11,065 fans who turned up for the match broke the record attendance for a match in the Conference.