Uefa Cup Ticket Blow For Rangers
Ticket-less Rangers fans have been dealt a blow in their quest for Uefa Cup final briefs with the news that Zenit expect to sell their full allocation...
May 5, 2008 4:15:37 PM
Due to political reasons and travel-restrictions, fans of Russian football are not renowned for their globe-trotting support of their heroes.
Thus, Rangers fans were hoping to bag extra tickets for the Uefa Cup final, due to the likelihood that Zenit would return a chunk of their 13,000 allocation. Boss Dick Advocaat himself predicted that only around 5,000 would make the long journey.
Indeed, when the Gers beat Moscow Dynamo in the European Cup Winners' Cup final in the Nou Camp in 1972, only a small, wily band of hard-cores made the trip to Spain.
However, travel restrictions have eased in recent years and Zenit have claimed their ticket horde will be eagerly snapped up by their fanbase.
"We will sell all our tickets, there is no doubt about that," a Zenit official told PA Sport.
"We had 3,000 in Munich for the first leg of our semi-final against Bayern and many more want to go to Manchester.
"We have had our first allocation of 7,000 tickets from UEFA and they are gone.
"We are waiting for the second part of 4,000 and I have no doubt that they will be sold too, as will the rest we get.
"Our fans will have no problems travelling to Britain.
"They do need a special passport that allows them to leave the country but many of our 16,000 season-ticket holders and our other fans already have it.
"They also need a visa to travel to Britain but the British Consulate will open offices in St Petersburg and Moscow to allow those to be rushed through."
Enthusiastic
Large numbers of Rangers fans – with or without tickets - will obviously make the short journey south to Manchester. Zenit, though, are also revelling in reaching their first continental final.
"Some of our fans will be flying from St Petersburg to Riga, then to Manchester," the spokesman continued.
"Others will be flying from St Petersburg to London then getting a train to Manchester.
"The average salary for our fans is around 500 euro (£390) per month and some of the air fares are 600 euro (£470) so it is an expensive trip and it means that not many of our young fans will be able to afford it.
"But we will have a very enthusiastic support in Manchester."
Duncan Robertson, Goal.com
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