Fans Ready for Returned World Cup Tickets
October 31, 2005
Soccer fans lamenting the much-maligned ticketing process for the FIFA 2006 World Cup in Germany were thrown a bone by the world soccer body this week when it was announced that they will have an extra chance to apply for tickets when a waiting list for anticipated returns is set up later this month.
The ticketing system has been causing anger across the globe ever since it was launched, not least because of the reported 60 percent of the 2.93 million estimated available tickets for the 64 matches which have been offered to national associations, tournament sponsors and suppliers and broadcasting partners. Only 1.1 million tickets for the global soccer showpiece have been put on public sale.
Corporate tickets finally making it to the fans
However, this controversial allocation may yet pay dividends to some lucky supporters. World Cup organizers expect some of the tickets allocated to national associations and the other groups to be returned, and fans can apply for places on the waiting list for those returns between November 2 and November 30.
"Anyone who's taken a flight knows about waiting lists," said Horst R. Schmidt, the organizing committee vice president in charge of ticketing, in an interview with Reuters. "If someone fails to fails to show up or hands back their ticket, the person at the top of the waiting list takes their place."
Venue not team specific tickets up for grabs
While this may open up the possibility of more fans getting their hands on the Holy Grail of soccer tickets, they will not have any say as to which games they wish to attend. The draw for the tournament does not take place until December 9 but they will be able to pick out specific venues that interest them.
Priority for waiting list places will be given to people who made unsuccessful applications for tickets in the first sales phase as well as those who bought Team Specific Tickets for teams which subsequently failed to qualify for the tournament.
The 812,000 tickets that were made available to ordinary fans in the first two sales windows were oversubscribed by 10 to one. An estimated 300,000 further tickets will be up for grabs from December 12 to January 15.