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Fans First tickets for semi and final?

Does everyone get the option for these tickets as the prices seem to good to be true or are they only available to those with a high number of caps?

I chose these and also accept another cat just in case Smile

41 Replies

  • Andrew Nutt

    In reply to Matthew Isle:

    Looks like it’s cat 3 with the option to go to cat 2 for me then ... thanks Matthew
  • Anthony Simpson

    In reply to Matthew Isle:

    Yer I’m thinking I’m on 24 caps tick box to go up or down cat 3 groups cat 2 last 16 & quarters and thinking now cat 3 semi and final so I could go up or down in last 16 and quarters and I’m semis and final increasing my chances
  • Matthew Isle

    In reply to Anthony Simpson:

    Anthony Simpson
    Example 10500 tickets for semi final uefa have allegedly said 50% of tickets will go to cat 3 so presumably that’s fans first included.. say 9000 people apply for fans first and tick the box to go up or down . Surely they would have to be a ballot ? So 50% of 10500 is 5250 then a ballot only 3675 tickets would be guaranteed to the 70% who have enough caps so if your on 24 caps like me you would end up in the 30% ballot

    Far too many 'allegedly' and 'presumablys' in there mate.

    On 24 caps you'd expect you're well back in the queue with circa 4k needed to fulfill those Fans First if most on 24 and above apply for these.

    Just sit back and wait for some more information. But remember you're guaranteed a ticket IF you apply for the correct category.

    If you get too ambitious you could end up missing out.

  • Anthony Simpson

    In reply to Matthew Isle:

    Cheers mathew
  • David Lilley

    In reply to Anthony Simpson:

    Anthony Simpson
    So 50% of 10500 is 5250 then a ballot only 3675 tickets would be guaranteed to the 70% who have enough caps

    This assumes that there is a separate 70/20/10 exercise for each ticket category. I don't have inside knowledge but I don't think this is how it works as this would be inconsistent with the principle that ESTC will give higher cappers preference for their first choice of ticket category. I think that ESTC will do one 70/20/10 exercise based on the whole ticket allocation. Then they will allocate successful applicants to ticket categories starting with the higher cappers and working their way down the caps table.

    In your case, if you were to apply for category 3 with a willingness to be moved to category 2, I would say you had a very good chance of category 3 and you'd be nailed on for a ticket of some description. If you were to apply for 'Fans First' with a willingness to be moved to category 3, I would say your chance of 'Fans First' would be very iffy. You'd still have a very good chance of category 3 but with a real risk of missing out altogether.

    I'm sure I read on another thread that someone had spoken to the staff at ESTC. They had confirmed that 'Fans First' and category 3 were regarded as different categories for the purposes of moving people up or down a category.

  • Andrew Nutt

    In reply to David Lilley:

    So if that is correct someone outside the 70% who has applied for a fans first ticket with option for cat 3 has virtually no chance of getting a ticket ... let’s say not many people apply for cat 2 or cat 1 tickets will that mean there would be empty seats ?
  • Ian Costain

    In reply to David Lilley:

    Yes, I spoke with the ESTC yesterday morning.

    They said that selecting the "one category higher" box when choosing Fans First would mean consideration for Category 3 tickets. And that therefore low-cappers should recognise that choosing Fans First could significantly reduce the chances of being allocated a ticket.

    I also raised a separate point with the ESTC. According to UEFA's FAQs: "There is no difference other than price; there are however less Fans First Category 3 tickets available than standard Category 3 tickets". On this one the ESTC were of the view that Fans First tickets would be in poorer locations than other Category 3 tickets. When I pressed a little they said: "well, it stands to reason that they'll be in poorer locations as they're cheaper - but ultimately it's down to UEFA who'll be dealing with the precise allocation".

    I think it would be helpful to get complete clarity on both these points when the ESTC update their FAQs.
  • Andrew Nutt

    In reply to Ian Costain:

    So these tickets could either be in the first few rows on level 1 or on level 5 .. Seems massively unfair on top cappers if they do get issued these first surely they deserve to have the best seats on level 1 behind the goal ... I’d want to be on the bench if I had 60 caps lol
  • David Lilley

    In reply to Andrew Nutt:

    We don't know how ESTC tackle the question of allocating members to ticket categories. Although I think that what I posted earlier represents the general principle, this principle may have to be 'bent' in certain circumstances.

    Suppose, as I suspect, that ESTC conduct one 70/20/10 exercise to identify the successful applicants, then they go down the caps list allocating members to ticket categories. What happens if they get to the bottom of the list and they can't allocate tickets to the remaining successful members because the category they selected and the next one up are both sold out ?

    Option 1 : They can give these members the highest ticket category they opted for. Then, other people higher up the caps list will have to be surreptitiously bumped up a category to free up tickets for the people at the bottom of the list.

    Option 2 : They can say "tough" to the people at the bottom of the list and replace them with members who were unsuccessful in the original 70/20/10 exercise but who opted for more expensive ticket categories which are still available.

    We'll probably never know which.

    There won't be empty seats unless the match is genuinely undersubscribed or not enough people were willing to be moved to category 1 to use up all the category 1 tickets. In that case, they'll be offered to non-Travel Club England fans or even to neutrals in the general public sale.

  • Andrew Nutt

    In reply to David Lilley:

    Wow it’s a logistical nightmare
  • Anthony Simpson

    In reply to David Lilley:

    Really appreciate your advice David in your view For last 16 & q/f would I have a better chance if I pick cat 2 with willingness to go up or down or pick cat 1 with option of going down too cat 2 .
  • Andrew Nutt

    In reply to Anthony Simpson:

    We’re also forgetting the fact that a lot of members have already been allocated tickets in the original uefa ballot that must give mid cappers a better chance of being in the 70%
  • Gerard Milano

    In reply to Andrew Nutt:

    I am on 66 caps but genuinely have no idea what to do about the cheaper tickets. In the event that we made a Semi or Final I really would not want to be up in the gods!
  • Matthew Isle

    In reply to Andrew Nutt:

    Andrew Nutt
    We’re also forgetting the fact that a lot of members have already been allocated tickets in the original uefa ballot that must give mid cappers a better chance of being in the 70%

    I'd temper that 'a lot' with the word 'some' and bet that most of these will be lower cappers.

    Fingers crossed the opposition hand some back (possibly post January for groups), that the Footballing Family do likewise and there will always be people above you who a) don't apply at all and b) apply for a few games. 

    All these little factors help get tickets back to us and the ESTC won't be sat on their hands. They do a blinking good job of fair distribution.

    But we have almost two weeks of greater clarity.

  • Ian Costain

    In reply to David Lilley:

    Like you, David, I suspect they'll conduct one exercise.

    I'd have thought that, in working down the caps list, for each person the algorithm would be … can I allocate this person their first choice category: if yes then successful; if no then can I allocate one category different: if yes then successful; if no then unsuccessful.

    So someone on, say, 35 caps might be unsuccessful as they went Category 3 (with the option to go up a category) and by this stage there were only Category 1 tickets left. And yet as they worked down the caps list someone on, say, 32 caps was successful as they went Category 2 (with the option to go up a category).

    In this way I don't think you'd get the scenario whereby you'd "get to the bottom of the list and they can't allocate tickets to the remaining successful members" - because a member would only be deemed to be successful if they could be allocated a ticket as per the above process.
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