FIFA to change ticketing for 2014
Reuters - Thursday 20 May 2010, 16:16
JOHANNESBURG - World football's governing
body FIFA will change its ticketing system for the next World
Cup in Brazil after learning from mistakes made in South Africa,
secretary general Jerome Valcke said on Thursday.
He had already admitted the ticketing system, based on
internet sales, was not suitable for South Africa, where the
poor black population who are the country's biggest football
fans do not have access either to the Web or bank accounts.
Last month, organisers belatedly introduced over-the-counter
cash sales which unleashed a rush for tickets and significantly
pumped up excitement over the tournament in the host nation.
"I have already said that the system we have put in place
was not perfect for South Africa and for Africa," Valcke told a
press lunch.
"For Brazil we say that we have to rethink and we will work
on all the ticketing policies from scratch for 2014 because I
agree that it could be that we are facing the same kind of
situation in Brazil as in South Africa."
South Africa's Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk
earlier this week called the internet ticketing system a "huge
mistake" for Africa. He also said ticket prices were too high.
Valcke acknowledged it was disappointing so few fans from
other parts of the continent would be coming to the first
African World Cup, estimating the number at about 40,000 out of
2.86 million seats available.
Asked about the arrest of a Saudi al-Qaeda member in Iraq
who was allegedly plotting to attack the World Cup, Valcke said
no warning had been received of any serious potential terrorist
threat to the tournament.
SECURITY COOPERATION
He dismissed local reports that FIFA and foreign
intelligence services were worried about South Africa's capacity
to deal with such threats.
"It is clear for the time being that we have not received
any threat on the World Cup, a real one, coming from one of the
security agencies we are working with," he said.
Valcke said less than 200,000 tickets remained unsold and
FIFA hoped to reach sales of 95 percent but three smaller venues
- Polokwane, Nelspruit and Port Elizabeth - were cause for
concern, with fears many seats would be empty.
In a bid to avoid this, FIFA was organising up to 200 free
buses to bring people from borders with surrounding countries,
including Zimbabwe which is close to Nelspruit and Polokwane.
But he feared it was too late to attract extra fans this way.
To encourage more fans, FIFA has also extended the special
cheap $20 category 4 tickets, originally available only to South
Africans, to neighbouring countries.
Valcke said there was concern particularly about the
Paraguay-New Zealand group stage match in Polokwane on June 24
and South Korea-Greece in Port Elizabeth on June 12.
Critics have attacked the building of expensive new stadiums
in all three cities, saying they will be white elephants after
the World Cup with no local football or rugby teams.
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