Reds fans may get refund after ticket debacle
Hundreds of Irish fans paid sports travel firms up to €2,300 each for flights, hotels and entry to the match but were left outside the ground when promised tickets failed to turn up.
About 300 to 400 die-hard Irish supporters travelled to Athens for Wednesday’s game with one firm, Bernie Travel, of Tullamore, Co Offaly, but were fuming when they learned hours before the match there were no tickets.
Agency director Tony Bernie had to be taken away by Greek police for his own safety after being confronted by angry Irish fans who had set their hearts on getting in to see their heroes against AC Milan. Liverpool lost 2-1.
Yesterday the Irish Travel Agents’ Association (ITAA) said trips abroad for football matches as well as holidays could be covered under the industry’s independent arbitration scheme.
“If consumers feel they have been let down by some element of their purchase, then they are rights under consumer law and they can have recourse to the small claims court,” said ITAA chief executive Simon Nugent.
“We have an independent system of arbitration if consumers are unhappy and the usual approach from travel agents is to sort these things out informally without going to the law.”
Disappointed fans who travelled abroad have been urged to check their contracts for details of compensation or to see whether their trip was covered by the arbitration scheme.
Mr Nugent was critical of European football’s governing body UEFA and Greek authorities for problems outside the stadium.
Flights from Dublin were cancelled at the last minute when the Greek authorities said they did not have enough landing slots at Athens Airport while fans with genuine tickets were denied entry at the game.
“Questions have to be asked of UEFA over the lack of coordination in the host city,” said Mr Nugent.
