SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - World Cup tickets to be resold after being passed on illegally

Record ID: 455244

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - World Cup tickets to be resold after being passed on illegally
  • Date: 18th June 2010
  • Summary: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (JUNE 17, 2010) (REUTERS) FIFA OFFICIALS ARRIVING FOR PRESS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 3rd July 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA2RWOKKVVF4WSKUH1D7S3G5AMP
  • Story Text: FIFA say they will resell tickets that were passed on by a former international soccer player to women allegedly involved in "ambush marketing".
    World Cup tickets found in the possession of two Dutch women involved in an alleged "ambush marketing" incident which were traced back to a former international soccer player will be resold after a face value donation to charity has been made, FIFA said on Thursday (June 17).
    British TV pundit Robbie Earle, a former Jamaican international and striker with English League club Wimbledon in the 1990's, was sacked by UK broadcaster ITV after tickets found in the women's possession were traced back him.
    "You've heard of the case concerning a former commentator from ITV Robbie Earle, we are having very good co-operation with ITV at the moment to find out how many such tickets have been acquired and these tickets will be cancelled," said Nicolas Maingot, FIFA's Acting Director of Communications at a news conference in Johannesburg, South Africa on Thursday (June 17).
    "There will be a donation based on the face value of those tickets to a charity and we will resell these tickets. Just to repeat we will cancel all tickets acquired by Robbie Earle, we will donate the face value of these tickets to charity and we will resell these tickets."
    The two women appeared in court in Johannesburg on Wednesday (June 16) to face charges linked to a suspected ambush market campaign by brewer Bavaria at a World Cup tie.
    The arrests come after FIFA questioned a group of 36 Dutch women who were watching the Netherlands play Denmark in Soccer City stadium on Monday (June 14) in skimpy orange dresses.
    The dresses produced by family-owned Dutch brewer Bavaria caught the eye of experts on the lookout for ambush marketing campaigns.
    Anheuser Busch's Budweiser is the official beer for the tournament and world soccer's governing body fiercely protects its sponsors from brands which are not FIFA partners.
    FIFA has started legal proceedings against the Dutch brewer.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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