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£4,500 a ticket ... before anyone knows who is playing
Shekhar Bhatia and Jonathan Prynn25 Apr 2008
Football touts are enjoying their biggest ever end-of-season bonanza thanks to demand for four epic matches involving leading English clubs.
Some websites are already asking up to £4,500 for a ticket to next month's Champions League final in Moscow even though the line-up has yet to be decided.
Two tickets for next week's semi-final second leg between Chelsea and Liverpool are being offered by US website cheap-tickets4u.com at £5,378 each.
The first of the big four games is tomorrow when Manchester United and Chelsea meet in a match that could decide the Premiership title.
If Manchester United beat Barcelona next week in the other Champions League semi-final, the stage is set for what is likely to be the touts' most profitable club game with two English teams at the final on 21 May.
Uefa officials say they are stunned to find internet touts are asking "astronomical"-prices from supporters desperate-to see the games. Chelsea's two Stamford Bridge matches against Manchester United, and Liverpool in the Champions League four days later, have been sold out for weeks. Supporters without tickets desperate to see both games will have to pay at least £1,300.
A Uefa source said of the £4,500 tickets for the Champions League final: "This is greed beyond measure. But the problem is the final at the Luzhniki Stadium will be absolutely sold out and could be sold out twice over. That means these avaricious individuals can make many thousands of pounds from real fans who just want to see their heroes."
He warned that any of the three English clubs or Barcelona, on qualification, would have to pass on supporters' passport details to Uefa so they could be matched with tickets on entry to the stadium.
The £4,562 final ticket is being offered by tickets-4U, which has telephone numbers in London and Madrid, but warns any legal disputes would be heard in a Seychelles court.
The agency describes itself as having "over 14 years experience in providing tickets and hospitality to all sporting, theatre and music events". Its website adds: "Over the years we (have) served more than 100,000 satisfied clients, from all over the world. Our policy is to provide to each one of our clients their tickets at the best market price."
It was today offering European final tickets for between £2,700 and £4,562 and a seat for Chelsea's game with Manchester United tomorrow for £799.
A fan also wanting to do business with the agency for Wednesday's second leg semi-final match with Liverpool would have to pay a further £547.
Chelsea charges between £38 and £60 for a seat at league and cup games and Liverpool has told its fans that, should the club qualify, most tickets for the Champions League Final will cost between £67 and £167.
Another internet firm called 1st4 Football Tickets was offering Stamford Bridge seats for both matches at £975.
Under the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 it is illegal to sell on football tickets over the internet. However, most on-line touts have moved off-shore.
Reader views (1)
As the old adage goes "a fool and his money are soon parted".
- David Injuryham, Crystal Palace, 25/04/2008 14:13
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