We're on the march with Big Sam's Army

 

Last posted: Thursday 17 November 2005 08:35

 

THE fans are flocking to back Wanderers on their European adventure.

 

Latest estimates suggest the Whites will have a following of 3,000 in Portugal next week when they resume their UEFA Cup campaign against Vitoria Guimaraes.

 

Demand for match tickets and travel packages have prompted club officials to charter a fifth plane, and business continues to operate at a brisk pace at the Reebok Stadium.

 

Sam Allardyce, who was overwhelmed by the backing his team received from a 2,000-plus following when they secured a first round victory over Lokomotiv Plovdiv in Bulgaria in September, has been told to expect a much greater number this time.

 

Wanderers anticipated a high demand for Guimaraes tickets when only around 400 travelled to Istanbul for the opening group game against Besiktas last month. But the impressive draw in Turkey and the subsequent home victory over Russian club, Zenit St Petersburg, has put the Whites in a position to secure a place in the last 32 with a victory in Portugal and has captured the fans' imagination.

 

Allardyce has declared his intention to give the Guimaraes game his best shot to avoid going into the final group game at the Reebok on December 14 having to beat the crack Spanish outfit, Sevilla, to claim one of the three qualification places.

 

Wanderers have assured supporters their allocation of 4,500 tickets for the game in the 30,000-capacity Dom Afonso Henriques Stadium on November 24 will be sufficient to satisfy demand but had not expected to have to lay on an extra plane.

 

In conjunction with their official travel partrner, TMG, they are offering packages priced from ??215. Supporters can register their interest by calling 01926 456 276 (Mon-Fri 9.30am to 5.30pm).

 

Supporters will then be contacted by TMG once the travel arrangements have been clarified.

5 charter planes at 250 each = 1250.

 

 

plus people travelling on their own.

 

 

3000 seems a very low

I agree.

 

I would be very surprised if we don't sell out our full allocation of 4.5K.

 

Subject to the tickets reaching our hands

It may be that the club cant add up.

But it may also be a media ploy.

If they said we would sell the whole allocation they'd look stupid if we didnt,

we will sell it, and they can then spout to the press about how it excelled their expectations, how it shows our fan base is growing etc. makes em look more 'up and coming'.

Just heard from a good source (the same one that told me Campo had broke his foot, before he even made the tackle!) that BWFC are very close to selling their initial 4,500 allocation.

I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure there are at least 12 charter planes (3000 people?) heading to portugal plus a lot of people travelling independently from all of the UK to various airports in Portugal and Spain. I reckon that their guess of 3,000 is way out. We've said all along that they should have taken applications weeks ago so as to accurately assess the demand for tickets.

 

As it is, people like me and my 3 mates have booked flights and accomodation and will be heading out there with or without tickets. I know that none of my group will get involved in any trouble, but there may well be a lot of Wanderers fans in the home end when it could have been avoided.

 

It's only a week away and still most people have no idea if they have got tickets. When will the ticket office learn?

never -FACT!

Just heard from a good source (the same one that told me Campo had broke his foot, before he even made the tackle!) that BWFC are very close to selling their initial 4,500 allocation.

 

any idea if we will get a further allocation? was it mentioned (by White shadow?) that the away stand has room for up to 6,000, or have i been imagining things again?

don't know if the lower tier may have 1500 seats

 

that'd make sense

It's this one!! Or you guys.takes for 6000 people.

 

 

Everyone will get a ticket for Portugal. I wouldn't worry. Average gates are 15,000 / 16,000 on a good day. Segregation is no problem and if need be they can allocate a specific stand which holds 6000 (info from a Guimareas fan on web).

Whilst it would have been easy to allocate extra seats if this had been done in advance I wonder if we'll now find ourselves with the same situation that the non-league team visiting Southampton were in last season. Initially they were given only c. 2,000 tickets which they easily sold out. Although the stadium was still half empty, Southampton had been selling tickets in all other areas of the ground meaning that they couldn't just hand over another block.

 

Hopefully Guimaraes will have slightly more foresight than our club! I can't believe that I'm spending my time worrying about this when we should be looking forward to a great few days away.

Wiggy, Don't worry be happy =P~

Wiggy, Don't worry be happy =P~

 

but if he's happy then who's happy going to be?!?!?!

I'm perfectly calm.

 

:^o

Whilst it would have been easy to allocate extra seats if this had been done in advance I wonder if we'll now find ourselves with the same situation that the non-league team visiting Southampton were in last season. Initially they were given only c. 2,000 tickets which they easily sold out. Although the stadium was still half empty, Southampton had been selling tickets in all other areas of the ground meaning that they couldn't just hand over another block.

 

Just to be pedantic (for a change) and in the interests of factual accuracy..... Brentford aren't non-league. In fact, they're doing quite well in League 1.

I think they advised 3000 to try and cut the number of worried callers.

 

The tickets being allocated so late is not the Wanderers fault as the tickets arrived 10 days later than supposed to under UEFA rules.

 

However what they should have done was invited applications very early then when negotiations started over allocations they would have had a better idea of numbers.

 

After all my fretting, I got my phone call today, collect Saturday.

 

I doubt we will be given any more tickets at this late stage, though if there is an area not being sold to the home fans then maybe they may sell some on the gate.