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Euro 2021 Tickets - stick or twist?

I've just read UEFA's latest reminder that the final date for optional return of tickets is 22nd April. Things may be a bit clearer by then, but who knows what the situation will be in June and July? So we could find ourselves still holding valid tickets for a knock-out match somewhere like St Petersburg, but be barred from travelling there and lose a few hundred quid. Are others planning to return any tickets or just keep fingers crossed? Having already booked accommodation for Middlesborough, I guess I'll stick and hope.

85 Replies

  • Andrew Dixon
    Stick until 22nd April...Wembley may get the Dublin games so last 16 for England at Wembley a possibility...If you’re gonna cash one in now give QF priority but who knows...Wembley may pick that up too...Should know full schedule on 19th so make a decision after that...
  • Carl Padley
    if dublin lost the games but it got played in st petersburg wouldnt the 50km from the original ground refund rule apply if you couldnt attend?
  • Clarke Buckeridge

    In reply to Carl Padley:

    UEFA need a bit of common sense, if Dublin cant hold the games then they must surely be played at Hampden or Wembley.
  • David Lilley

    In reply to Clarke Buckeridge:

    Clarke Buckeridge
    UEFA need a bit of common sense, if Dublin cant hold the games then they must surely be played at Hampden or Wembley.

    Why ? With Ireland not qualifying, there's no particular reason for Dublin's matches to be located in the nearest host city to Dublin. I'm sure the Swedes would be happy for their matches to be moved to St Petersburg as there is a ferry from Stockholm. The Poles and Slovaks would be delighted for their matches to go to Budapest - train or easy drive.

  • David Lilley

    We don't know what the situation will be in the summer regarding travel restrictions, but I've had a go at collating the current situation. If anyone sees any errors or omissions, please post them on this thread. To keep this post to a manageable size, I'm not considering the destinations if we were to qualify in 3rd place.

    Dublin

    To enter Ireland you need to produce a negative covid-19 test taken within the previous 72 hours. You also have to quarantine for 14 days. If your point of departure were considered a high risk country then the quarantine would be in a government approved hotel at your own expense.

    There is no information about rules for entry to the stadium, as Ireland has not committed to allowing fans.

    Copenhagen

    To enter Denmark you need to bring a negative covid-19 test taken within the previous 24 hours and you must undergo another test on arrival. You must self-isolate for 10 days but this can be reduced to 4 days if another negative test is produced at that time.

    To enter the stadium you must show a negative covid-19 test, OR proof of vaccination, OR proof of prior infection.

    Rome

    To enter Italy you need to produce a negative covid-19 test taken within the previous 48 hours. You must register with the local health authorities and you must self-isolate for 5 days then take another covid-19 test.

    Rome has also not yet issued any rules regarding entry to the stadium.

    St Petersburg

    I couldn't see any national rules regarding covid-19 and entering Russia. It is possible that the making of rules has been devolved to the regions. However, it does appear that individual airlines may impose requirements as a condition of flying with them.

    To enter the stadium you need a negative covid-19 test.

    Re-entry to the UK

    On arrival in the UK you have to undergo two covid-19 tests a few days apart. You also have to quarantine for 10 days. This quarantine would be in a government approved hotel at your expense if the point of departure were in a high risk country.

    Discussion

    There are 2 big issues here : quarantine / self-isolation and covid-19 testing.

    If we have to self-isolate for a few days on arrival in a host country then we're going to miss the match. So there's no point in going ! Worse, suppose we were to win our quarter final and then find that we can't watch England in the semi-final or final because we are having to quarantine for 10 days on return to the UK. Although the vaccination programme is going well in the UK, whether or not we have to self-isolate will depend on the government's view of the situation in the country we have arrived from. There are going to be no announcements from the government about whether and how foreign travel restrictions might be eased until May 10th at the earliest. But we have to decide whether to surrender our tickets for a refund by April 22nd.

    If we need to take covid-19 tests, the sources I have read do not specify which type(s) of test would be accepted. Lateral flow tests are cheaper than RT-PCR tests. You also get the answer back in about 30 minutes compared to 2-3 days for the PCR test. However, lateral flow tests are more inaccurate and unreliable than PCR tests, especially for asymptomatic infected people. Paying for several tests is going to add hundreds of pounds to the cost of going to the R16 and QF matches. As someone who will have had both vaccine doses by the time of the tournament, I was hoping that proof of vaccination would make it unnecessary for covid-19 tests. This may be the case when the time comes. A number of governments, including our own, are looking at vaccine passport schemes but there is nothing definite yet.

    I intend to wait until the last moment before deciding what to do about my R16 and QF tickets, just in case anything changes. But if things stay the same as now, then I'll surrender them, mainly because of the risks of missing the matches due to quarantine / self-isolation.

  • David Deighton

    In reply to David Lilley:

    Great post David.

    So where is our go to guy for Arena size vs new revised down capacity vs new allocation for each stadium for each game ticket allocation ?
    Cheers
    Dave
  • Stephen Holmes

    In reply to David Lilley:

    Good stuff David.....am I alone in not considering the quarantine...testing...hassle worth it.
    Lets face it...the tournament has lost a lot of importance. Its not real football with 25% crowds etc.
    All our runs...not missing a game etc have come to an end.
    Roll on normality.
  • Paul Probyn

    In reply to David Lilley:

    Thanks a lot David - that's really helpful. I think I'm likely to do the same as you. Had my first vaccination a couple of days ago so I could travel - looks as if I could have saved myself the trouble. Says something about the authorities' confidence in the vaccines if testing and quarantine will still be required.
  • Andy Catanach

    In reply to Paul Probyn:

    Yea im just going to Wembley games..... yea wont matter your vaccine status need test poss there and almost certainly back to England
  • Ian Dale

    In reply to Andy Catanach:

    Disappointed that the R16 and QF seem to be a write-off. Unless they are moved to UK or somehow the host countries make it onto the green list or quarantine is relaxed nearer the time. Will likely hang on to the tickets for those rounds as got Cat 3 all the way so can afford the hit. Will probably show up for my second AstraZeneca jab though not now holding out any hope of a vaccine passport route to the games.
  • James Collinson
    Yeah I’m going to stick, hope we top the group and both of the games get moved from Dublin and Rome to Wembley.
    Absolutely living in hope on many levels, just hoping the risk pays off.
    Didn’t risk hotels in Boro though, day tripping all the way.
  • Carl Padley

    In reply to Andy Catanach:

    think im going to wait until 21st before deciding to bin the last 16 off see if any news regarding dublin is announced i have a feeling i will miss out on all 3 group games aswell think i was on around 18 caps last year so if allocation is as low as rumoured then alot will be unhappy
  • Peter Sherwood

    In reply to Carl Padley:

    Not sure any further ballots will be based on caps, from how I understand it, it will be a flat out UEFA - first out of the hat job so it includes any non estc members etc. Some details would be nice from the FA, as it's only a couple of months away.
  • Matthew Isle

    In reply to Peter Sherwood:

    Peter Sherwood
    Not sure any further ballots will be based on caps, from how I understand it, it will be a flat out UEFA - first out of the hat job so it includes any non estc members etc. Some details would be nice from the FA, as it's only a couple of months away.

    Assuming you're referring to ticket returns - this isnt right.

    The tickets bought directly (by non ESTC members and some ESTC members) from UEFA will indeed be randomly returned.

    Those bought through member sales (i.e. the ESTC) will be subject to their own ballot rules.

    This information is contained in the UEFA email sent on Friday.

    The ESTC team also sent an email on Friday explaining that more news (i.e. the process for their own ballot) would be communicated by email in Monday.

    I guess the expectation is that any return will possibly be in May (as per UEFAs) and done by caps (for the tickets bought through the ESTC).

    If you're referring to future ticket sales who knows, or reserve lists - this information might be on the email on Monday too?

  • Peter Sherwood

    In reply to Matthew Isle:

    Thanks for clarity Matt, hope there's some more info in the next few days.
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