I was flying staff travel in 2003 on BA17 LHR->SIN->MEL for the Ireland vs Australia RWC match.

We were assigned seats in the exit row. We got to the gate - no beeps in those days, it was the machines that the whole pass went through. Chunk, chunk and my bp stopped, I thought "yes......", but it was, "Noooooo" as I was told that the exit seats were now assigned to a commercial pax and we were down the back in the middle.