In a tidal wave of red, white, and blue, up to 15,000 die-hard England fans are set to descend upon Dallas, Texas, this week as the Three Lions roar back into World Cup action against Croatia. It's been a long six days since the tournament kicked off, leaving our passionate supporters eagerly waiting for the whistle to blow.
The official England Supporters' Travel Club (ESTC) did an incredible job selling its entire allocation of 4,022 tickets for the game – but it seems this is just the tip of the iceberg. The United Kingdom Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) reckons there could be as many as 12,000 to 15,000 England fans in attendance at each group stage match, including those who've travelled independently and expats living in the States – always a tricky number to pin down.
Ticket prices have become a major bone of contention for many fans. Group stage tickets in Qatar four years ago started at a relatively affordable GBP68.50, but England's opener against Croatia? That'll cost you anywhere from GBP198 to a whopping GBP523! The limited availability has driven many desperate fans to the FIFA resale site, where a 15% buyer's fee adds insult to injury. Take this category three ticket that originally cost GBP682 – it's now being flogged for a staggering GBP1,311!
The controversy doesn't stop there. A small number of 'supporter standard' and 'supporter premier' tickets allocated to ESTC members have turned up on the FIFA resale site at extortionate prices. We're talking thousands of pounds above their original face value! One such ticket, originally worth around GBP380, is being touted for a whopping GBP3,192 – that's over GBP3,670 including the FIFA fee. It's nothing short of daylight robbery!
Despite the astronomical costs and ticketing headaches, one thing's clear: England fans are still as passionate as ever. The UKFPU reports an impressive 89,000 World Cup tickets purchased by fans from England across all 104 tournament matches – although this figure doesn't account for those who'll be travelling without pre-secured tickets. While the turnout for the opening match might not quite reach the dizzying heights of 350,000 fans who flocked to Germany in 2006, it's still a significant increase from the meagre 4,000 who made the journey to Qatar four years ago.
Thomas Concannon, leader of the Football Supporters' Association's England fans' group, sounded the alarm back in April: "Many fans are holding out for a cheaper option... or waiting until the last minute to book their tickets." It seems he was right – but will these fans finally get the chance to cheer on the Three Lions at a price they can afford?