Euro 2000 organisers say they are concerned at the scale of demand for tickets on the black market, but insist it will not undermine their strict security plans. "Indications suggest there is sizeable black market demand despite the fact that the 1.2 million tickets are linked to named individuals," Euro 2000 spokesman Richard van Eijk said today. Demand for tickets for matches involving the Netherlands, Germany and England is believed to be particularly great.
Germany and England meet in Charleroi on June 17 in a game regarded by many, including Belgian police, as the highest risk match of the tournament. Organisers believe supporters who buy from ticket touts could face a double financial loss. "The people who buy tickets from touts will face checks at the stadiums and a fine when they are caught," Van Eijk said.
“Tickets for Euro 2000 have been distributed only to the individuals who applied for them. In this way, organisers hoped to weed out known hooligans. About 40 percent of the tickets have the name of the applicant printed on them but all 1.2 million can be scanned if necessary to establish the names,” said the spokesman. Organisers acknowledge that most spectators will be allowed in without having to prove their identity but say checks will be stepped up at higher-risk matches.
The ticket tout problem is likely to be most severe in the Netherlands, where repeated efforts by Euro 2000 and some political parties to ban black market sales have failed. Such sales are illegal in Belgium, co-hosts of the three-week tournament. However, Dutch police still have the power to set up controls around the stadiums and check tickets to ensure public order, and say they will have a heavy presence, along with stewards, around the grounds.
