The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has taken action following recent reports on the resale and misuse of tickets for the Asian Cup qualifier between Hong Kong and Singapore on Nov 18.
Tickets for the winner-takes-all match at the Kai Tak Stadium were reportedly sold out in Hong Kong within 80 minutes on Nov 7.
Hong Kong fans who could not get tickets are feeling aggrieved after reports of scalpers purchasing home section tickets – priced between HK$80 (S$13) and HK$240 – with at least one reselling the tickets at nearly 17 times the price online.
This prompted some Hong Kong fans to register through FAS to secure seats in the away fans’ area at the 50,000-capacity Kai Tak Stadium, reported the South China Morning Post.
Saying it was “the only way to get a ticket”, these Hong Kong supporters added that they were successful in doing so through the pre-sale access meant for Singapore fans.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, an FAS spokesman said it is aware of recent reports on the “resale and misuse of away tickets”.
The spokesman added: “Tickets allocated to Singapore supporters have been made available exclusively through a dedicated FAS access page managed by our ticketing partner, Ticketek.
“Multiple safeguards were implemented to ensure that these tickets are reserved for Singapore fans only.”
This includes showing proof of the redemption receipt as well as a valid Singapore photo ID or Singapore passport that matches the name of the purchaser during ticket collection on Nov 16 (3pm-9pm) and 17 (11am-9pm) at Harbour Grand Kowloon hotel.
The spokesman added that there will be an “on-site fan declaration” that ticket purchasers are required to sign, confirming they will comply with away section regulations, including supporting Singapore only and refraining from wearing home team apparel or displaying home team paraphernalia.
The Straits Times
