antiquity
05-28-2002, 10:53 PM
Soccer-World-Ticket frustration for wheelchair users
TOKYO, May 28 (Reuters) - Japanese organisers (JAWOC) are still missing 3,000 wheelchair access tickets three days before the World Cup starts on Friday, they said on Tuesday.
They had been due to arrive on Monday from British-based ticket agent Byrom Inc which has struggled with printing problems leading to delays in sending on tickets.
Around 7,000 other overdue tickets did arrive in Japan on Monday and have been dispatched to anxious fans, JAWOC said.
Japanese organisers received the main chunk of 150,000 delayed tickets at the weekend and promptly sent them to fans by express courier service in time for the start of the finals which kick off in Seoul.
The missing tickets are reserved for wheelchair users who bought them for matches in Japan on June 1-3. They are now unlikely to get them in time.
"While referring these matters to FIFA, it is expected that the purchasers of these (wheelchair access) tickets for June 1-3 matches would not receive them in time," JAWOC said in a press release.
TICKETING MESS
JAWOC are contacting these ticket holders individually and plan to deliver the tickets in person at match venues rather than through the post.
Although they have managed to avert the greater problem of fans arriving to matches without tickets, the inconvenience caused to wheelchair-bound fans is an embarrassment for JAWOC, who have blamed FIFA all along for the ticketing mess.
Japanese organisers have said they could have reduced the risks by managing the data and printing of tickets in Japan.
JAWOC have been inundated with phone calls from anxious fans as the tickets were initially scheduled for delivery in mid-May.
Manchester-based Byrom, the official FIFA operating agent, blamed the printing delays on the late arrival of ticketing data from around the world.
Meanwhile, another potential problem is looming as a number of overseas fans who bought tickets from the international consignment, handled by Byrom, could turn up in Japan or South Korea without having received their tickets.
JAWOC are upset that Byrom has not presented them with a contingency plan should such a situation arise.
"Byrom (said) that they would investigate concrete measures to respond to this situation and announce them on Monday (May 27). This deadline has expired and as of 1030 (on Tuesday) morning no response has been forthcoming," JAWOC said.
05/28/02 02:23 ET
TOKYO, May 28 (Reuters) - Japanese organisers (JAWOC) are still missing 3,000 wheelchair access tickets three days before the World Cup starts on Friday, they said on Tuesday.
They had been due to arrive on Monday from British-based ticket agent Byrom Inc which has struggled with printing problems leading to delays in sending on tickets.
Around 7,000 other overdue tickets did arrive in Japan on Monday and have been dispatched to anxious fans, JAWOC said.
Japanese organisers received the main chunk of 150,000 delayed tickets at the weekend and promptly sent them to fans by express courier service in time for the start of the finals which kick off in Seoul.
The missing tickets are reserved for wheelchair users who bought them for matches in Japan on June 1-3. They are now unlikely to get them in time.
"While referring these matters to FIFA, it is expected that the purchasers of these (wheelchair access) tickets for June 1-3 matches would not receive them in time," JAWOC said in a press release.
TICKETING MESS
JAWOC are contacting these ticket holders individually and plan to deliver the tickets in person at match venues rather than through the post.
Although they have managed to avert the greater problem of fans arriving to matches without tickets, the inconvenience caused to wheelchair-bound fans is an embarrassment for JAWOC, who have blamed FIFA all along for the ticketing mess.
Japanese organisers have said they could have reduced the risks by managing the data and printing of tickets in Japan.
JAWOC have been inundated with phone calls from anxious fans as the tickets were initially scheduled for delivery in mid-May.
Manchester-based Byrom, the official FIFA operating agent, blamed the printing delays on the late arrival of ticketing data from around the world.
Meanwhile, another potential problem is looming as a number of overseas fans who bought tickets from the international consignment, handled by Byrom, could turn up in Japan or South Korea without having received their tickets.
JAWOC are upset that Byrom has not presented them with a contingency plan should such a situation arise.
"Byrom (said) that they would investigate concrete measures to respond to this situation and announce them on Monday (May 27). This deadline has expired and as of 1030 (on Tuesday) morning no response has been forthcoming," JAWOC said.
05/28/02 02:23 ET