Green Army to march east with 50% fewer Euro tickets than some countries

IRELAND’S legion of football fans will be left fuming after it emerged other countries heading to Euro 2012 have secured up to 50% more tickets than the Green Army.

Up to 30,000 Ireland fans — the country’s biggest-ever travelling support, and one of the biggest from any nation at the tournament — will flood Poland next June.

The Republic of Ireland Soccer Supporters Club expects 15,000 supporters to travel to group games, with up to another 15,000 expected to fly out if the team reaches the knock- out stages.

Numbers could top the 25,000 who travelled to Italy in 1990 — Ireland’s previous biggest overseas support.

But despite the huge fan base, other countries will get up to 50% more tickets than the Green Army, with only four of the 16 competing tournament teams receiving fewer tickets.

Each nation gets 16% of each stadium’s capacity at Euro 2012 — down from 20% at Euro 2008.

Despite Ireland’s impressive support, the FAI will get just 6,400 tickets for each group game, a total for the three group games of just 19,200 tickets.

This is because the national team, despite having games in attractive cities, will play at some of the smallest stadia at the tournament.

Many countries landed more tickets, including Sweden, who have pocketed 28,800 tickets.

The Scandinavians landed a plum draw with three games at Kiev’s 60,000-capacity Olympic Stadium — the biggest venue at the tournament — while Ireland are in stadia smaller than many Premier League grounds.

England and France have landed 25,600 tickets each, while Ukraine have the same number plus tickets reserved for host cities, and co-hosts Poland, Greece and Russia all have 22,400 tickets.

Giovanni Trappatoni’s men face Croatia at Poznan’s 40,000-capacity Municipal Stadium on June 10; Spain at Gdansk’s 40,000-capacity arena on June 14, and Italy back in Poznan on June 18.

UEFA have refused to give better-supported countries bigger stadia by allocating stadia to games after the draw — despite the draw being six months before the tournament kicks off.

Ireland’s 6,400 ticket allocation will not even be enough to cover the 6,500 fans who attended away qualifying games, are season-ticket holders or Vantage Club members — never mind the second ticket each person is entitled to. Those groups’ tickets will go on sale on Monday.

All other supporters wanting to cheer on the team face sky-high black market ticket prices, amid fears that locals bought pre-draw tickets via Uefa.com and will resell them at a vast profit.

Holland and Germany — two of the best supported countries — have fared even worse than Ireland, receiving just 18,000 tickets each.

Fans have missed out after many match tickets were allocated to sponsors, corporate hospitality guests and VIPs.

An FAI spokesperson said: “We will do whatever we can to try and get more tickets to accommodate Ireland fans.”

Gerry Rochford, chair- man of the Republic of Ireland Soccer Supporters Club, which is recognised by the FAI as Ireland’s largest fans’ organisation, said: “Euro 2012 will be very well supported — so having tickets totalling only 16% of the stadium will impact Irish fans. We’re certainly in favour of more tickets going to grass-roots fans, who are the backbone of their team’s support and make the effort to follow them.”