England and Wales match fails to sell out: Tickets are still available online for tomorrow’s ‘Battle of Britain’ World Cup clash… as Qatar fans flood re-sale sites after national team is eliminated
- Worries over alcohol ban and strict travel conditions thought to have put fans off
- Thousands of tickets for Qatar’s last match against Holland were also available
- Police on alert after clashes between England and Wales fans outside in Tenerife
The so-called ‘Battle of Britain’ meeting between England and Wales at the World Cup has failed to sell out with tickets still being available today through official channels, MailOnline can reveal.
Worries over lack of alcohol, Qatar’s poor human rights records and strict travel restrictions, are believed to have stopped many fans from applying or travelling to the Middle East.
And Qatar fans have been dumping tickets on resale sites after the host country were eliminated by losing its first two matches.
Thousands of tickets for Qatar’s last match at the World Cup against Holland were also available today at a tournament which has been marked by empty seats at stadia across Doha.
The so-called ‘Battle of Britain’ meeting between England and Wales at the World Cup has failed to sell out with tickets still being available today through official channels, MailOnline can reveal. Above: England’s Harry Kane (left) during the match against the US on Friday; and Wales captain Gareth Bale during his team’s defeat to Iran
Police are on high alert after clashes between England and Wales fans outside bars in Tenerife last Friday ahead of the big match with both teams desperate to win.
Two fans from Hertfordshire, Sumit Bose, 54 and his son Kiran, arrived last night with tickets for today’s Ghana and South Korea match and were stunned to be able to buy two more for tomorrow’s World Cup group decider.
Kiran, 24, who fronts the London band Avenue as lead guitarist and vocalist, said: ‘My dad and I could not believe it when we went online on our phones at breakfast time and got two tickets of the official portal.’
The graduate Barnet, who was wearing his England shirt added: ‘We flew over here happy just to be at the World Cup and not in our wildest dreams did we think we would get England tickets.
Worries over lack of alcohol, Qatar’s poor human rights records and strict travel restrictions, are believed to have stopped many fans from applying or travelling to the Middle East. Above: Empty seats during the match between Cameroon and Serbia today
‘Our only concern apart from not seeing England was staying in the metal containers FIFA have put fans like us, but we survived the first night anyway.
‘I phoned my uncle back in England to tell him. He has seen England at four World Cups and he said he had never heard of England tickets at the tournament not selling out.’
Around 10,000 England and Welsh fans are expected at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium for tomorrow’s match with only a handful of touts bothering to make the trip too.
Welsh fan Duncan Jardine, 52, who is with his partner, children and grandchildren, said: ‘We need to play well and a bit of luck too.
Jim Hewitt, 51, a manager from Nottingham, said: ‘It will be an incredible match and Wales will have their pride to play for as well’. His friend Ant Smith, 53, from Derby added: ‘This game should help sharpen the England team up after the dire match with the USA’. Above: Mr Hewitt (right) with Mr Smith (left) and their friend Richard Marriott
Welsh fan Duncan Jardine, 52, who is with his partner, children and grandchildren, said: ‘We need to play well and a bit of luck too. We haven’t beaten England since 1984, but we have everything to play for and still stay in this tournament if we beat England’
‘We haven’t beaten England since 1984, but we have everything to play for and still stay in this tournament if we beat England.’
But Jim Hewitt, 51, a manager from Nottingham, said: ‘It will be an incredible match and Wales will have their pride to play for as well.
‘But I think if Gareth Southgate picks the right team, we should make it through and win the group. Then who knows? We are long due a trophy as a country.’
His friend Ant Smith, 53, from Derby added: ‘This game should help sharpen the England team up after the dire match with the USA.
‘We should beat Wales and then take on the more successful teams like France and believe we can go all the way.’
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