Bees have international tickets cut

By Elliott Josypenko
February 10 2005

Birmingham & Solihull have had their seat allocation for England matches reduced by the Rugby Football Union after a ticket issued to the club was re-sold to an unauthorised recipient.

National One side Pertemps Bees are one of 13 found to have breached the union's stringent ticketing policy and are understood to have had part of their annual allocation suspended for one year.

Chairman Steve Blundell expressed his regret at the incident, which related to the 2004 autumn international series, and said steps have been taken to avoid a repeat.

"We are obviously dismayed," he said. "A ticket allocated to us went to a very respected club member who took some people through work to a match.

"One of those people, on the morning of the match while he was down at Twickenham, then sold the ticket to someone who they believed was a genuine fan.

"We regret this situation and have put in place measures to ensure it never happens again. Whenever we give a ticket to one of our members in the future we will communicate to them the importance that they use it for themselves.

Blundell added that the club had written to the RFU explaining the circumstances and described the union's stance as 'sympathetic'.

"We are embarrassed by what has happened and the club member who was involved is very, very embarrassed," he said.

In Bees' case the number of tickets they have had suspended is thought to be a fraction of their annual allowance.

All 13 cases relate to the internationals in November and the ticket allocations to each have been reduced or withdrawn over a set period of time.

Six further cases are being appealed and these will be heard on February 14. If the appeals are unsuccessful the parties involved will also be named.

Full list: Oadby Wyggestonian, Lancaster University, Old Northamptonians, Liskeard, Sudbury, Hessle, Fylde, Hellingley, Hull, Birmingham & Solihull, Hinckley, Halton and Ipswich.

Brian Dick (Birmingham Post)