Internet Touts Hit FA Cup Final Tickets
According to media reports, tickets for this year’s FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Everton on 30th May are being illegally sold on the internet before the allocations are issued to football clubs.
The FA said its lawyers would be investigating websites claiming to sell seats for the flagship match to be staged at the 90,000 capacity Wembley Stadium.
One website is asking £1,040 for seats in the Chelsea section and the website owners say they are not breaking any rules because their business is based in Spain.
The FA said the fact that the company was based abroad was irrelevant.
‘It doesn’t matter if they are in Spain. It is illegal in England. That’s all that matters,’ said an FA spokesman.
However the websites, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claim to be selling tickets to whoever is willing to pay hugely inflated prices.
One site is asking for £713 for seats behind the Everton goal. The price goes up to £845 for a view from what it refers to as ‘longside’.
Chelsea fans are being charged £546 for a seat behind the goal with up to £975 for a seat in what it calls club level.
The news comes as The FA is planning to launch a major anti-touting campaign this week.
Reselling of football tickets is banned in England because of fears of trouble between rival supporters who are normally seated separately from one another.
