? Supporters face scramble if team progresses from group
? Uefa says progress on Euro 2012 facilities 'in good shape'
England supporters will get only 5,000 official tickets for the Euro 2012 quarter- and semi-finals should the team make it that far.
Fabio Capello's team will discover their fate in Friday's draw, with Spain, Holland, France and Portugal highlighted by Capello as the teams to avoid. Yet, even if the draw in Kyiv is kind to England, fans could hit a problem in the scramble for tickets.
Normally Uefa reserves 20% of capacity for each competing nation. However, in recognising the logistical difficulties in getting around two large countries, where the transport network is not as sophisticated as that in western Europe, the continental governing body has opted to reduce numbers.
"We have reduced the capacity of supporters to 5,000 each," confirmed Martin Kallen, Uefa's operations director for Euro 2012. "It makes it easier logistically than when we have 20% of the capacity for each finalist. With England there is not this problem but some countries do not have as many supporters and we want to give local people a chance to ensure we have full stadiums."
It means around a thousand fewer tickets will be available than would normally be anticipated for such showpiece occasions. Indeed, travelling could turn into a bit of a trial for fans wanting to see the semi-finals, the first time when teams who will have played exclusively in one country could find themselves having to go to the other.
Road signage is a specific issue in Ukraine, with many signs currently in Cyrillic only, although Kallen insists this will be rectified by next summer.
Considering there was a threat to strip Ukraine of half its games and the final at one point, so far behind in construction did they fall, it is with some relief Kallen is now able to reflect on a tournament that is virtually on schedule.
"We came a long way in the past three or four years and it has been a very interesting last 12 months. Now we are in good shape," he said. "Maybe we thought we might not be as far [along] as we are now. But I have been in this business for a long time. It is always a struggle. It is nothing new."
Having spent an estimated ?29bn between them, Ukraine and Poland have invested big money to host the first major football tournament in eastern Europe.And while Europe's financial crisis may affect the numbers who eventually travel, Kallen feels those who make the effort will be pleasantly surprised.
"It is somewhere you might not go without football, so it is an experience and a chance to explore new territories," he said. "Both countries are very welcoming. It is good for European football."
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/dec/02/england-fans-euro-2012-tickets
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