System blamed for Liverpool ticket disappointment
The fiasco following Liverpool’s stolen FA Cup tickets could have been avoided if Millennium Stadium officials adopted the same system Chelsea use to get fans through the turnstiles.
Around 1,600 tickets were stolen following a raid on a Royal Mail van last week in Liverpool but fans will not receive duplicate versions, despite the Football Association consulting stadium officials in an attempt to resolve the problem.
There have also been calls for culture secretary Tessa Jowell to look into the matter, although it is understood that government intervention is highly unlikely.
However, the problem could have been avoided if the Millennium Stadium used a ‘Smart Card’, the system popular in Europe where tickets are purchased with identification and can be cancelled or re-issued.
Teamcard, who manufacture the ‘Smart Cards’ have Chelsea and Bolton among their clients.
“The tickets can be tracked if they are stolen or lost and they are checked electronically at the stadium,” said Teamcard marketing director Cameron Pirie.
“It is used all over Europe now and if the Millennium Stadium are having problems with duplicating stolen tickets then this would have been a solution.
“Even if the costs were £2 above the price of a ticket, the safety would be worth it, particularly if you are paying around £60 (€87) a ticket anyway.”
FA bosses liaised with officials but the stadium’s Safety Advisory Group - comprising members of the police and fire services and Cardiff County Council - would not re-issue the tickets.
Fans who had paid for the tickets for the clash against West Ham will not get replacements and police have warned against buying from touts as anyone with a stolen ticket is liable to arrest.
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