MORE than 200 Champions League Final tickets - worth up to £500,000 on the black market - have gone 'missing' in the post.
United fans are urged not to buy the highly-sought after tickets - selling on websites for up to £2,250 each - from touts.
A total of 216 tickets for Wednesday's game against Barcelona went missing after being collected from Old Trafford by Royal Mail. A probe into how they were 'lost' has now been launched by Reds bosses and post chiefs.
The tickets have been cancelled and they cannot be used to get into the match in Rome.
A United spokesman said: "We urge anyone who gets approached and offered tickets, do not accept them."
The tickets are designed like credit cards, each of them containing a special chip which will be scanned by stewards at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Now the chips have been cancelled they are worthless, although there are fears attempts will be made to sell them on the black market. New tickets are being issued to the United fans who paid for them.
Raid
News of the postal mishap follows an attempted ticket raid at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
Intruders dressed as catering staff tried to steal tickets from the office, but left empty handed, the club said.
Police rushed to the ground at 2.10pm after reports of the attempted theft, but have not launched an investigation.
"When officers arrived, staff were unable to say if anything had gone missing," a spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said.
Standard tickets for the Champions League final were being sold last night for up to £2,250 on specialist websites.
Julie Jarvis, 50, who lives in Whitefield, Bury, is still waiting for her four tickets to arrive by special delivery from Old Trafford.
Hairdresser Julie, who has been to every United home and away game this season, along with her husband Paul, said: "If I don't get my tickets in time, then I won't set foot in Old Trafford again.
Answers
"We asked the tickets to be sent special delivery.
"They didn't arrive, so I rang up this morning and the ticket office said that some tickets had gone missing from Royal Mail. I just want some answers."
Two tickets ordered by fan Ben Drumm also failed to turn up at his home in Hertfordshire.
The dad-of-three, 52, said: "I've just accepted that I'm not going to get my ticket now. I've spent £300 on the trip to Rome, but I may not even go, because I don't want to be a downer for my mates who do have tickets."
A Manchester United spokesman said today that Uefa, having been notified of the problem, had decided to reissue the 216 tickets which will have a different chip ID.
A spokesman for Royal Mail confirmed that a number of tickets had gone missing.
Comments
Login or Register to comment
good old royal mail!
when are they going to loose the monopoly they have on doorstep deliveries???
It's been the same for away Premier League tickets it's a nightmare.
I collected mine from the ticket office, with United charging £15 for each ticket to be delivered, I would have thought somebody from Whitefield would have collected as well the ticket office has been open to 10pm this week, I went Wednesday and was there about 10 mins.
How safe is the post in manchester apparently tickets have gone missing for Oasis as well.
Well when the newspapers report the dismissal/suspension of their Ticket office manager, after he had been found dealing tickets to touts what more can you expect.
"If I don't get my tickets in time, I won't set foot inside Old Trafford again."
Nothing like a bit of over-reaction, eh?
has if getting robbed by gold trafford first,is not enough..
Intruders dressed as catering staff tried to steal tickets from the office, but left empty handed, the club said.
How does one know the Royal Mail van was not followed and robbed if left unlocked Hmmmmmm The Plot Thickens...
Every event always has lost tickets and now it is getting to the stage that companies running these major events hired a company that will deliver straight to the door of the ticket applicant and actually get a signature for the tickets.
This will be the only way forward to get things done right and correctly and legally.
Has someone given Bobby Charlton a job at the sorting office? I'm sure they'll turn up. On ebay or somewhere.