It’s not a pretty sound. The Local Organising Committee for World Cup 2010 whining about the slow pace of ticket sales is a little like football teams complaining that they don’t get enough credit for their attractive style of football, even as they are being relegated to a lower league.
The reality is that Fifa, in consultation with the Local Organising Committee (LOC), set the rules and procedures for local ticket allocation.
For Danny Jordaan to complain that England will have more supporters at their games than Bafana Bafana is disingenuous in the extreme.
“It will be tragic is this trend continues,” he said yesterday.
Yes, indeed. It’s tragic that Jordaan and his colleagues have allowed this trend to emerge in the first place.
There are two categories of failure built into the process.
The first has been pointed out by numerous media, and that is the complexity of the application process. It is a well-known principle in usability analysis that any product, device, system or service involving payment or funds transfer must balance security and control with simplicity. The higher the control provisions, the lower the take-up. The more lenient the control, the higher the take-up.
Fifa and the local organising committee are clearly oblivious to this principle, forcing soccer fans to jump through hoops. Even before we get to online sales, these are some of the restrictions they have put in place:
* You cannot simply buy a ticket; you must apply for it. People want and need to know, at the time of a purchase decision, what they are purchasing and what it will cost them. First own goal.
* To apply for a ticket, you have to fill in a complicated form, which requires not only your own personal details and identity number, but also the same details for those who you expect to accompany you to the games — for every ticket. Second own goal.
* If you don’t have internet access, you can only apply for tickets through the branches of a single bank, whether you are a client of that bank or not. Third own goal.
Soccer doesn’t have the baseball metaphor for three strikes and you’re out, but three own goals would surely doom any team to defeat. Yet, there’s more from Fifa and the LOC.
The cost of the tickets is an absurdity in a country where most soccer fans are used to paying from R20 to R40 for a match. After the first round, the cheapest ticket (Category 4) is R350, and that confines you to the far corners in the upper reaches of the stadia. Even Category 3 tickets keep you so far from the action, it’s hard to justify a minimum for R700 for any match past the first round (and R560 for the first round).
The second category of failure is the online system.
The online booking process has been a nightmare. The usability of the Fifa site’s ticketing section scores well below even South African corporate websites. And then the amount of detail required for every match for which you apply is absurd.
If you were awarded a ticket in the first two “blind” rounds (when you simply applied based on dates and venues, as the teams were not yet known), and it turned out to be for a match which you would prefer not to watch, you couldn’t exchange it for another match, even where tickets were still available. If you were awarded two tickets, and wanted to apply for an additional two (there is a maximum of four tickets allowed per household), there is no facility for that. And if your household has more than four people, tough luck.
That’s how many more own goals? I’ve lost count. But by now, the metaphorical team would have been booed off the field.
I queried one nonsensical requirement with Fifa, and eventually got a response. The issue is this: Whether online or offline, no household may purchase tickets for more than seven games. For those who came to the party during the first two rounds of booking, and managed to get allocations for all seven games (as I did after a series of attempts), there is now no chance of booking for additional, specific matches, or getting more tickets for a specific match.
Having a soccer-mad household and company (talking football every Monday morning is a job requirement at World Wide Worx), we are now precluded from hosting clients at or attending a number of mouth-watering games for which, it appears, ticket sales have been woeful and are very available. I want those tickets, Fifa is desperate to sell them, but their policy is cast in stone. Or rather, cast in bureaucracy.
This was Fifa’s response to my query:
- “The Household Restrictions were put in place to ensure that as many fans as possible have the opportunity to purchase tickets.
“A Ticket Applicant can only apply for a maximum of four (4) single Tickets for up to seven (7) Matches per household. This is explained in the Sales Regulations and FAQs:
10. Household Limits. A Ticket Applicant can only apply for a maximum of four (4) single Tickets for up to seven (7) Matches per household …
“Before submitting your application you were asked to confirm that you have read and understood the T & Cs, Sales Regulations and all other ticketing related documents. By completing and submitting the Ticket Application Form to FIFA, the Ticket Applicant irrevocably agrees, acknowledges and undertakes to fully comply with, the Ticket Sales Regulations and the 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africaâ„¢ General Terms and Conditions for the Use of Tickets.”
Well gee, I’m sorry for supporting you wholeheartedly from the start, Fifa! I’m sorry for submitting my applications before I even knew who I would be watching, Fifa! I apologise for irrevocably agreeing, acknowledging and undertaking anything with you at a time when ticket applications were a leap of faith, Fifa! Oh, and I truly regret having to fully comply with the ticket-sales regulations!
But now that I am complying, perhaps you can come to the party too?
This was Fifa’s last word: “You have been successful for the maximum number of matches and will therefore not be able to request any more tickets.”
So, Mr Jordaan, if diehard soccer fans are not able to buy tickets as they wish, you can keep your “tragic”. If soccer fans can’t buy tickets in a process that makes sense, Mr Jordaan, you can keep your “worried” to yourself. If the “household restrictions” were put in place to ensure that as many fans as possible have the opportunity to purchase tickets, but they’re not interested or can’t afford them, you can keep your restrictions and your crocodile tears, Mr Jordaan.
It is understandable that nothing much can be done about the ticket prices at this stage (without creative thinking, that is), but if Fifa and the LOC are sincere about their concerns, they will ease the process for South Africans and Africans, they will relax some the terms and conditions, and they will be more flexible in their household restrictions. All else is press conference bluster.
Agree whole heartedly
The British and other International media have dubbed a lack of local and African interest for tickets to games featuring African teams as apathetic…Wrong!
Apathy for games involving African teams during the World CUP is not apathy as much as locals waiting for handouts…free tickets etc, but who can blame them when everyman and his dog is out to milk this event.
Rented accommodation, t-shirts, beer prices, airline tickets the whole she-bang have jumped on board to fu*k the local.
Prices are too much for your average South African to watch a game…handouts will nevertheless prevail in that case cause FIFA wont want empty stadiums.
Take note FIFA tickets to watch a whole days cricket at the Wanderers are no more than 50 odd bucks, as it has been across the country for the entire series against England…and guess what…stadiums have been packed!
Getting bums in seats is what you want. An example of a day at the cricket for one man and his two kids…Seat prices total R110, hats for the boys R140, two replica Protea shirts R600, sun block R100, beer R100, lunch R150 etc etc you get my drift.
Four adult mates…tickets R150, sun block R100, beer R500 (LOL), lunch R150, and taxi home…
When I watched day one at Kingsmead there was a minimum of 20 places to queue to buy beer, each queue was at least a 20 minute
Did Germany have the asme rules?
Arthur,I could have not said it better. As much as one understand that there are rules and regulations that are followed by FIFA during World Cup, it is a fact that soccer culture is dufferent throughtout the world. If Jordaan want to see increase in tickets sales allow our people to purchase the tickets the way they are used to (Computickets) and do away with this 100 commandments / procedures.
Thank you for agreat article, it embodies my feelings about the whole fiasco. I live in Botswana and I will not be attending any games, even though I am a football fan. I will cross the border into SA and then watch from the big screens provided outside none of my SA friends can afford the tickets so we will be watching it on big screen. I hope I get to feel some world cup fever. Congratulations to SA, you are hosting the tournament in Africa but not for Africans. We must not forget that internet and hundreds of rands per game are not a given for any average African family, come to think of it even upper middle class families will go to a strain just to afford these games. Before aperson can buy a ticket they have to do too much, its as though the plan was to put as many obstacles as possible and then cry wolf. When agreeing with FIFA Jordan and his LOC forgot out typical conditions, but then again maybe our conditions are not typical to them. Enjoy the games Danny!
Great analysis of how not to sell tickets to an event, and a useful case study. Tell people about something, and make it easy to respond to the call to action (why do so many businesses and governments not understand this?). Why is FIFA’s current campaign focusing so much on non-soccer fans anyway? It makes no sense when soccer fans are excluded like this.
Great article! I was amazed at the complicated process I had to go through. No wonder people will simply give up and watch at home.
Soccer is a boring naff game.
Who cares.
Give me the Sharks vs the bulls anyday
Well put, I hope “DR” Jordaan reads the article. The whole set up is a disaster. Why are the pool games not being played in one area at two stadiums. Instead our transport infrastructure is going to be severely tested as fans try and get from city to city (Polokwane to CT in one instance), to support their team in the pool stage.Let’s face it, there should be more tourists for the pool stages, because as the teams get knocked out, most of their supporters go home. If the pools were played at two stadia where the teams and their supporters could book accomodation in one place for the duration of the pool matches the stress on transport would be reduced and the income to the hospitality industry increased. Makes much more sense to me.
I dont even think their process is working. I know a couple of people that have applied for tickets but they didnt get it. And if you didnt get it, you werent given an opportunity to try for other seats. Rumour now has it that you will have a better chance applying for category 1 & 2. Talk about expensive seats.
Arthur you are totally correct.
There has been a total lack of thinking clear or otherwise in the process.
It a bewildering muddle. A very arrogant process with no understanding of the dynamics of the country.
Spot on…FIFA have messed this up.
My friends and I cannot get tickets to the same matches!…nevermind the long winded nature of it all.
All we want is a few tickets to watch some people run around a field!…its not a bloody British funding application.
My sentiments exactly! Far too much trouble. I can’t be bothered to beg for tickets – and still pay so much for them!
This was said to be an African WC.
How many Africans soccer fans have access to internet? How many have a credit cards?
They are used to buy ticket (late) not to apply for a ticket.Apply?
The whole of LOC/FIFA Marketing Dept must be fired.
Spot on Arthur. We held a succesful Confed Cup which was dubbed a trial run for the main event in 2010. One phenomena that should have sent a strong message that South African fans cannot be bullied in our own backyard is with ticketing and vuvuzela. Look at the mess created by the French broadcast right holders (read money mercenaries) in Angola. Now that`s a lesson!
Good article.
Moreover I find it incredible that this has been deemed “Africa’s World Cup” for soccer fans of Africa. There is no way your average soccer fan in South Africa (R70/day wages, family of four+) can afford the games, the replica shirts etc. etc. It should be renamed, “Africa’s chance to get shafted by FIFA (TM)”
The target audience is funny enough not your average soccer supporter but your average rugby supporter who are just couldn’t care less about the game (other rather the Swedish and Spanish female supporters).
Very sad to see economic apartheid being implemented 15 years after ‘freedom’.
If one can buy air tickets at Shoprite/Checkers what prevents the same process from being applied by FIFA to the tickets?
What a joke; i had to read parts of your article twice just to understand it all!! i work with some very serious soccer fans and when i asked if they have applied for tickets they just laughed. “not worth it” they said – even though they have interent access and don’t have to stand in a bank queue. T.V it is then!
Why don’t SAFA buy up all the tickets and give them to young soccer supporters from “previously disadvantaged” communities? That would sure make a lot of people happy.
Already not caring about the World Cup. I just want it to be over. It seems to be more of the same overly-commercialised crap which has dominated sports in recent times
Very well said, Arthur! I hope you have mailed copies to the relevant officials at FIFA, the LOC and in our Government.
I tried three times to get tickets without any joy so I decided on a much better plan, a nice 42 ” flat screen tv that I can still use afterwards and I have enough money left over for speakers as well. Only problem my wife said no vuvuzela in the lounge. Oh well cant have everything
Or you end up with a bunch of tickets you do not want and when you try and resolve the matter with FIFA you are confronted by a stone wall and fine print [which by the way is flawed].
I get the feeling that FIFA’s atitude is not we need and want people to come an watch the games. But rather consider yourself lucky to be let in to see the GREAT event WE are hosting.
Less arrogance and more flexibility may be the answer?
Totally agree with you Arthur. Exactly replicates my experiences and thoughts on the process. I, sadly, got zero/none/nada of my ticket applications approved from Phase 1 lottery. If they are so keen on locals getting tot he games, why was I so unsuccessful? Presumably all the tickets reserved for locals have been allocated, and I must now pay the extra to take a Category 2+ ticket. I think not.
I’m now hugely reticent to go through the whole shambolic process again before the 22nd cut-off for the present lottery phase.
Colleague tried to make a suggestion to Mr. Jordaan during his interview yesterday, but wasn’t able to get on air. He wanted to suggest that the LOC set up WC ticket sale counters at PSL games, and that they are able to produce physical tickets there and then for the purchasers.
Mr. Jordaans’ remarks sound as short-sighted and silly as those he made early last year about the clothing that we should wear to WC games. (Wrote a post about that and my thoughts on the ticket application process here: http://tinyurl.com/ybvgky6 )
Arthur,
I am not a soccer fan, and I can’t see any of my household going to a match. Does this mean I can buy four tickets and supply my name, your name, and the name of two of your mates, and just the three of your turn up.
How would this suit you ?
100% Arthur. The problem with South Africa is that we are too busy trying to be like Europe or the USA. While our infrastructure and wealth might be up there, the reality at the bottom is very much 3rd world.
FIFA have their rules. We as South Africa went to FIFA and literally begged to be allowed to host FIFA’s event. Obviously FIFA stipulated their conditions, and we said, yes, we can meet those. Whether that was after a prudent and empirical study of all the factors at bay or not, only the LOC can answer. What i know for sure is that we are too busy trying to prove to the (western) world that we can do anything that they can do. Hence the dynamics involving the general public were ignored, otherwise FIFA would have flagged that as a negative point.
Per Capita GDP in SA is much higher than in most African countries, and they still have to travel, so we should really forget about hordes of fans coming into SA, because even SA fans cannot afford the tickets.
I am not interested in attending a game (not a big fan), but I have friends with a family of 5 who all want to attend SEVERAL MATCHES together. And they can afford to, lucky folk! Tough luck! So they’ll all watch at home together.
Even if I wanted to watch live, there is no way I’d be prepared to go through at that malarky. This is no way to attract would-be fans.
Shame, poor Danny! and he’s going to run SAFA when the SWC is over?
I was so confused by the initial process for buying of tickets, I eventually gave up. Plus, for seats I want (where I can actually watch a proper game), the price is just too much. Africans can’t afford the ticket prices & flights & accommodation; that is why ticket sales are slow. I shall be saving and buying a decent flat screen to watch my beloved Ghana & Germany play from comfort of my home. Cheaper & less hassle.
Why pay that much to watch a team lose anyway? FIFA must think the average South African soccer fan is a masochist. This ticket system smacks of elitism, agreed. They did it to rugby and cricket: Newlands is that dark bit in the train ride where you can’t read. Now they are doing it to soccer? We pleasants will be left with just mugging and hijacking as a sport. Oh, and hunting… Oh bugger, no more guns. Not fair, what are we supposed to do for fun?
Paul, this would suit me nicely, thank you. However, it is likely to have you branded a criminal by FIFA.
Greg, you hit another nail on the head (at http://www.blabla.co.za/2009/02/24/what-not-to-wear-to-2010-world-cup-matches/)
Mr Jordaan’s comments are risible proof of failure. I guess we’ll all wait until the week before kick off when the huge amount of outstanding tickets will be desperately offered for sale for R20 each from Computicket.
I tried to buy for the confed cup last year, i got no joy from it, i gave up. We used to computicket and standing in line in front of a window to buy a ticket you get that same moment. Now you want us to apply, “Goodluck to you Fifa” you will need it.
Do not worry Danny, the aliens might just gobble up all the tickets if earthlings do not take them up because you made it difficult for them to do so. If the aliens do arrive and take up all the tickets, please enjoy their company.
I could not have said it better myself. I decided that was it for me when I heared I had to apply, and through a bank nogal whats this a loan or credit card?. I normally just pitch at Computicket for a soccer ticket. So my flat screen will have to sweat it out.
And I supposed it was just my age, gender and (possibly) race that made me so bored with the whole matter. I have feared sounding unpatriotic before, but now, thank heavens, know I am in good company, of all ages, both genders and probably all races worldwide!
It’s just a game, for Pete’s sake! And the people who care the most are probably kids.
“A Ticket Applicant can only apply for a maximum of four (4) single Tickets for up to seven (7) Matches per household”
Does the games limit apply to Messrs Blatter, Jordaan, Zuma & Balfor?
I thought that the WC money was to be made from deals with broadcasters sponsors and advertising/shirt sales blah blah – surely the ticket sales can’t amount to all that much in the grand scheme of things…? Just sell them at a decent respectable price, on a 1st come 1st served basis…
When you see FIFA remember that it translates to MAFIA.
The system is theirs and is designed to give maximum return. Just sit back until around May and you will pick up the tickets easily and probably for half the price.
They cannot afford half full stadiums for a world cup finals game.
I would not attend if tickets were given to me.
I went to my favourite cinema and tried to “apply” for a ticket. They did not understand what I wanted!
Then I went to my local liquor shop and “applied” for a permit to buy a bottle of whiskey. Question marks all over.
FIFA has made it feel like a “privilege” to watch one of their matches. The decision should be on the buyers side. Not some system that “grants” you the right to attend one of their matches.
Advice to SA? Just stay away long enough and you will get what you want, when you want it and for the price you are willing to pay.
the Jordaan side of the Blatter/Jordaan duo is already melting. The Blatter side will take a little longer but he will conk in.
Another brilliant article from Goldstuck. Jordaan is punting the event as the best World Cup ever. Sorry Danny, you lost the first set and there’s more to come. The cumbersome ticketing process is only a smoke screen for security. After April 1, applicants can freely change the name of their guests.
Danny was too busy travelling the world. He should have injected the African cultural and economic input into the planning processes. The ticketing divide is now wider than the digital divide. The issue is further complicated by the preferential position of FNB and their audacity to force succesful ticket applicants to open an account with them. It borders on an unfair fincancial practice.
I think I will just get a decent TV! The website is a flipping joke…the only result of my efforts was the fact that I now receive emails telling me about David Beckham’s latest trip to the loo.
So pleased to be out of RSA, particularly during the WC..What a pity there is no cricket or hockey at the same time in the smaller towns, so that a proper sport can be enjoyed at far less cost. Jordaan and FIFA…..a pity there is no Bhamjee to advise you on how to obtain tickets more cheaply!
Derek James
Well presented Arthur. Daany stood too close to Blater, and now belives all he (Daany) has to do is to pronouncd commands and we will all come running and obey! Make any sales procuder complicated and it will not attract sales. So good luck FIFA (or the MAFIA as you have been called) enjoy the WORST WC ever. I guess you will NEVER come back to the RSA again!
This is getting scary. Does this mean FIFA did no research before deciding on SA as venue? What else did they not think of?
i am so grateful to have only the winter olympics to deal with this year.
good luck getting your tickets.
Besides the price of the tickets, the real soccer fans in South Africa dont DO internet or FNB. Let’s not even start on ID books… For me as someone who works and lives on the net, it has been an irritating and uncomfortable as well as expensive experience – sadly I can only afford first round matches.
This is symptomatic of the whole WC (how appropriate). We won’t be in SA during June and July, but in Blatterland.
Greed is the hallmark of the whole affair from Fifa through to guest houses. One guest house in Pretoria near Loftus normally charges R300 per night B&B. During the WC it’s R3000.
And, what happens to the 250 000 that will be unemployed in August ?
I bet they would have been sold out by now if Computicket handled the ticket sales! I myself bought from the first blind round, got all crappy matches.. what to do now? R17 960 later I’ll be taking my family and friends to go watch Korea, Honduras and Ghana…(GRUMP!)
So much for the ‘people’s game’! Well done Arthur for calling it right. FIFA – Football Is For the Affluent – has hogtied our guys, who seem to have negotiated away our rights and access. You’ve still got time to find your mojo, bring the game back to Africans and regain some cred.
Hi Arthur
I cannot agree with you more.
I applied for tickets in the first phase and while I managed to get a ticket for the final and a couple for the second round, I was denied tickets for the first round game between Uruguay and South Africa. At the time I did not know who South Africa would play, but I was happy to purchase tickets close to home. Out of my 5 applications, I only got tickets for 2 games and now I hear that the tickets I was denied are still actually available and Jordaan has the temerity to bitch and moan blaming South Africans for not buying tickets for South African matches, when I made several orders. Limiting the number of tickets was a presumptuous move which assumed all the tickets would be oversubscribed even during time of financial distress. I do not feel sorry for FIFA and LOC. They deserve what they got. I have once again applied for 5 sets of tickets for the remaining games, but chances are that all will be turned down and we will once again be blamed for the stupidity of the LOC and FIFA