Footie 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.

Although the game started at 3pm, Oxfordshire County Council thought it was an evening game and put up the wrong parking restriction signs. Residential parking in Blackbird and Greater Leys, Littlemore, Sandford and Minchery Farm became open to all when changeable signs imposed match day restrictions around the stadium from 6.30pm - about three hours after kick-off.

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

The mix-up frustrated residents, who currently receive free parking permits for event days, but will have to pay £40 a year to park outside their homes next year following a decision by the county council to charge for street parking in certain zones across the city.

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

Although the game started at 3pm, parking restrictions ran from 6.30pm until 10.30pm.

Andy Beal, 48, of Sandy Lane, in Blackbird Leys, photographed 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. Everyone was talking about it in the stands saying they'd be all right until 6.30pm."

The mistake caused jams across the area, especially in Knights Road and Merlin Road in Blackbird Leys. In September, the county council altered match day restrictions so that all residents must pay £40 a year for parking permits which cover event day parking. This was opposed by a majority of residents on the estates.

County council civil enforcement manager Helen Crozier 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."