Euro 2000 learns lesson of World Cup ticket farce

Tickets for the Euro 2000 Finals are set to avoid the embarrassing shambles that undermined the recent World Cup in France.

No agencies or travel companies will be allowed to sell inclusive packages to the tournament - removing tickets from ordinary fans who are only interested in seeing and supporting their team. Organisers insist that there will be no repeat of the situation that saw French nationals take up over 70% of tickets for the World Cup as other nationalities were discriminated against.

Fans will be able to buy two tickets for a match without having to spend money on expensive packages and accommodation deals that stunned people attempting to watch matches at the World Cup this summer. That tournament has provided organisers of Euro 2000 with a text book case of how not to sell tickets at a major football event. For security reasons though each ticket will bear the name of the purchaser in an attempt to restrict black market sales.

Venues in Holland and Belgium are already well prepared for the event which starts in June 2000. An initial batch of 37% of tickets will be available on a television shopping channel, an internet site and telephone order service from next March.

The remainder of the tickets will be distributed to national associations of qualifying countries for sale from December 1999 after the 18 Finalists are known.