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Ticket rationing at Wembley EURO matches - the real culprits

Some of the rationalisations of the 3000 ticket allocation to ESTC members have been too accepting of that mean number - some explanations verge on the pompous and patronising. Putting aside references to the pandemic etc, the real explanation is to be found in UEFA's traditional arrogance - in the good old FIFA tradition - and the English FA's active or passive support. 

A 3000 allocation has been justified as a "fair" pro-rata reduction in the usual 12000 allocation. An allocation of 12000 as a share of the 85000-90000 capacity is outrageously unfair. Remember there has been no general sale to the public of tickets for the EURO matches at Wembley - we all had to be paid-up ESTC members. Where the heck were the other 75000-plus tickets allocated originally?

The balance of reduced capacity tickets i.e. about 15000 or so, after the 3000 allocated to England Fans, and 3000 to the opponent team Fans, are clearly going to UEFA, it's mates, cronies, assorted hangers-on, and the lucrative hospitality ticket holders. Most likely as a result of a cowardly deal struck by the English FA with UEFA, to get the matches "awarded" to Wembley.

This unfair allocation has to stop for future tournaments. I do not begrudge those who heard on Thursday that they have tickets - good luck to them. The ballot process was fair, given constraints resulting from the pandemic. The real issue remains the unfair original share allocated to Supporter Club members - England, and Opponents too!.

This unfairness is reflected in ticket allocation for the Men's Champions League final in Portugal. Out of 20000 available tickets, just 12000 are allocated to the two English Finalists, to be split 50;50. Leaving 80000 other tickets. A British Government Minister said this week that UEFA wanted 2000 tickets for "UEFA Delegates" - a polite term for the mates, cronies, hangers-on who fancy a jolly in sunny Portugal.

From a very disgruntled and loyal England Fan.

49 Replies

  • Peter John-Baptiste
    There was a UEFA sale of tickets for all Euro 2020 games to the general public. The tickets didn't didn't all go to the national associations. Dont forget sponsors etc as well.

    If you want to blame someone for the ticket situation blame the fat, greedy sod who ate an infected bat and triggered this whole pandemic off.
  • Roger Loughney

    In reply to Peter John-Baptiste:

    Thanks - but I cannot recall any general sale of tickets in England for the Wembley matches. When did that happen?
  • Roger Loughney

    In reply to Peter John-Baptiste:

    Also - I paid £75 to the English FA to join the ESTC, which we were advised by the English FA was the only way of getting tickets for the England games at Wembley. I and my mates are on budgets which mean we would not have paid that kind of money if we could have got tickets from UEFA.
  • David Lilley

    In reply to Roger Loughney:

    In June / July 2019. This sale covered all matches at all venues.

    www.uefa.com/.../0253-0d821c0faceb-9c6313dd551c-1000--uefa-euro-2020-ticket-details-announced
  • David Lilley

    In reply to Roger Loughney:

    Roger Loughney
    ........ which we were advised by the English FA was the only way of getting tickets for the England games at Wembley

    At the time of the general public sale in 2019, nobody had qualified for the tournament. So the ticket sale couldn't be described as "for England games". The first opportunity to buy tickets knowing that England would be there was after qualification had finished in December 2019. At that time, the general public sale was long gone. The English FA was correct in saying that at that time the only way of getting tickets to watch England was through the ESTC.

  • Peter salnicki
    Hello Roger . There were tickets from Uefa via a general sale for every stadium, approx 50% of each ground. It was done a few months before the ESTC did their sale if i remember correctly. To be fair to Uefa in that instance that they did a ballot as well, rather than opening up a website for first come first served, as touts seem to swallow up loads of tickets that way.
    Should each teams fans get more tickets of course they should. But that goes back to even the mid 70s FA Cup Finals where only 50% of the crowd was given to the two clubs.
  • Peter John-Baptiste

    In reply to Roger Loughney:

    The FA wouldn't have said it was the only way surely?

    They may have said it was the BEST way but not the only.

    I get your frustration but the ticket numbers have been reduced in the same percentage across the board for everyone.
  • Roger Loughney

    In reply to David Lilley:

    I have seen your postings elsewhere since Thursday evening. Are you an employee of the English FA, or Wembley Stadium, and are you speaking in an official capacity?
    With your apparent comprehensive knowledge of ticketing matters, might the English FA have done the right thing back during the period of the so-called general sale, and let it be known through the media, and directly to Supporters Club Members at the time, that they should get their applications in for tickets at Wembley, because next time around, they will have to cough up £75 each, with no guarantee of a ticket?
  • David Lilley

    In reply to Roger Loughney:

    Roger Loughney
    I have seen your postings elsewhere since Thursday evening. Are you an employee of the English FA, or Wembley Stadium, and are you speaking in an official capacity?
    With your apparent comprehensive knowledge of ticketing matters, might the English FA have done the right thing back during the period of the so-called general sale, and let it be known through the media, and directly to Supporters Club Members at the time, that they should get their applications in for tickets at Wembley, because next time around, they will have to cough up £75 each, with no guarantee of a ticket?

    No, I'm not employed by the FA or UEFA or Wembley or anybody else. I'm just an ordinary fan. But I read all of the circulars and newsletters so that I can plan my own trips to England football matches without any instances of "I wish I'd known that before". Information is empowering.

    Regarding the FA informing fans of the UEFA general public sale, here it is.

    http://www.thefa.com/news/2019/jun/11/euro-2020-travel-club-information

    Both before and after this circular there were several threads on this forum discussing whether it was better to apply for tickets through the UEFA general public ballot or through the ESTC. We knew that, if England qualified, we would be playing at least 2 and probably all 3 group matches at Wembley. The general consensus was that, at least for group matches, you could apply through UEFA and, if unsuccessful in their ballots, try again through the ESTC. Note that there will have been far more applications from the general public in the summer of 2019 than through ESTC later in the year so the odds of success in the summer UEFA ballots will not have been good.

  • Raymond Bithall
    This also happens in champions league group games and knockout stages. The further a team goes the home team has to allocate an increasing number of tickets to UEFA delegates. It's all wrong.
    You are right Roger it does need looking at.
  • Paul Dawson
    Seems to be a lot of posts this week from 'loyal England fans' who look as if they have never got further than Wembley
  • Matthew Isle

    In reply to Paul Dawson:

    Indeed.

    I think I need to calibrate my own understanding of the word 'loyal'.
  • Roger Loughney

    In reply to Paul Dawson:

    Being unable to travel beyond Wembley, to "prove" my loyalty, has not been possible due to family and work commitments, plus financial constraints. The ability to apply for EURO 2020 tickets only arose as the result of a modest legacy from an Uncle passing away. I would appreciate it if sneering comments such as yours, and the one in the post below, were directed elsewhere. Thanks.
  • Stephen Holmes

    In reply to Peter John-Baptiste:

    PJB......I don't agree with all Roger says....but I'm 99%certain I have seen statements from the FA saying joining the travel club is the only way to get official tkts for England games...then every tournament people get them from other sources.
  • Paul Dawson

    In reply to Roger Loughney:

    Not ‘sneering’ at all, just highly amused at number of posts with people looking for an argument because they didn’t get what they felt they deserved, whilst blaming other people & organisations at the same time. It has never been as easy to build caps up, used to be away games for caps, home games then offered caps to encourage attendance ( even gave 2 caps as opposed to 1 for aways I seem to remember ? Until this was changed to 2 caps for away games)
    I didn’t get all my tickets that I originally had confirmed , not crying about it like others, I did 3 wks in Russia which meant I sacrificed nations league games & caps due to no holiday entitlement left. These people complaining then personally attack members like David ( not known to me by the way ) who is only trying to reply with informative, helpful information in reply to the posts, don’t know why he bothers seeing as how half the people who appear at tournaments probably need google & a team meeting to find the bog in the morning
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