Illegal Cup final tickets worry
By Dil Neiyyar
BBC Radio 5 Live
FA Cup Final tickets are being offered for sale on the internet
before they are issued to football clubs, the BBC has learned.
The FA said the practice is illegal and that its lawyers would
be investigating websites claiming to sell seats for the
Chelsea-Everton match on 30 May.
One website is asking £1,040 for seats in the Chelsea section.
The website owners say they are not breaking any rules because
their business is based in Spain.
The FA is also planning to launch a major anti-touting campaign
later on Thursday.
Reselling of football tickets is banned in England because of
fears of trouble between rival supporters who are normally seated
separately from one another.
We're concerned our fans are possibly considering buying
tickets online - which the websites just don't have
Everton spokesman Ian Ross
But the websites, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claim
to be selling tickets to whoever is willing to pay hugely inflated
prices.
One site is asking for £713 for seats behind the Everton goal.
The price goes up to £845 for a view from what it refers to as
"longside".
Chelsea fans are being charged £546 for a seat behind the goal
with up to £975 for a seat in what it calls club level.
Peter Trenter of Chelsea Supporters Group said: "It's a common
problem. Unofficial sites selling tickets at extortionate prices."
But there is surprise that fans are being offered tickets, when
seating arrangements and ticket allocation for the two sides have
still to be finalised.
The clubs are due to meet with FA officials on Thursday to
discuss seating plans for this year's final.
"The tickets haven't even been printed yet. It's physically
impossible for them to have them," said Everton spokesman Ian Ross.
One website told the BBC that it wasn't breaking the law because
it was based in Spain.
"It probably is illegal in England but we're in Spain so that's
how we get around it," said a spokesman.
The FA said the fact that the company was based abroad was irrelevant.
"It doesn't matter if they are in Spain. It is illegal in
England. That's all that matters," said an FA spokesman.
The Premier League has also been trying to clamp down on
internet ticket touts. It has in the past written to owners of
websites to warn them to stop trading or risk prosecution.
In the last six weeks it has closed down 30 websites selling
Premier League tickets illegally.
But fans say the only reason they turn to the ticket touts is
because the FA is failing to make enough legitimate tickets available.
Tickets sold
Even though Wembley has a 90,000 capacity, only 52,000 tickets
went directly to fans last year. Portsmouth and Cardiff both received
26,000 tickets each.
A further 20,000 tickets were passed onto what's called the
"football family." They include the regional FAs and referees.
Sponsors and charity partners also got a share.
In total, 17,000 tickets went to Club Wembley - the 10-year
season ticket allocation which were sold to help cover the cost of
building the ground.
"The websites are there because of the way the FA allocate
tickets," said Kenny Sweeney of the Mid Cheshire Everton Supporters
Club.
"Everton and Man Utd had 64,000 tickets for the semi-final -
24,000 went to other people. That's wrong."
Because FA Cup Final tickets are likened to gold dust among
fans, both Chelsea and Everton are expecting a huge demand when they
go on sale.
Everton has appealed to supporters to only purchase tickets
through the club.
"I think there'll be unprecedented demand from Everton fans.
We're concerned our fans are possibly considering buying tickets
online - which the websites just don't have," said Mr Ross.
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