The great FA Cup rip-off
Martin Dillon
TOUTS are asking up to £800 for tickets to watch Manchester United take on Millwall in the FA Cup final.
Reds' supporters are expected to snap up their 28,000 allocation.
But for those unable to get a seat for the match at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff via the club, there are various website ticketing agencies offering seat - but at a hefty price.
For those with a spare £10,000 or more,corporate hospitality boxes are available for the big game.
And a M.E.N search of the internet found ticketing agencies in America offering seats for $1,400 - about £800.
Having shelled out that sort of money for tickets, fans hoping to spend the weekend in Cardiff are in for another shock - room rates have rocketed and many of the big hotels are already full.
Security
The face values of tickets for the match range from £25 to £90, but United's club website warns demand is high and that a ballot will take place if the allocation is oversubscribed.
There has already been a row over how the tickets for the match, three weeks today, are being shared out.
Millwall will receive 21,000 - 7,000 less than United - but the Football Association said it made the decision after taking security considerations into account for the 72,500 capacity stadium.
The two clubs' tickets have been printed but not the further 12,000 that go to FA counties and affiliated clubs.
It is estimated that about 10,000 of these will end up going to United fans. London MP Joan Ruddock has signed a Commons motion urging the FA to reconsider the decision, saying the uneven allocation is not in the spirit of the competition.
Knowledge
But Manchester MPs, including Graham Stringer, Tony Lloyd, and Terry Lewis, have backed the move, pointing out that United's average home gate is around 67,000 compared with Millwall's 10,000.
Mr Stringer, MP for Blackley, said: "Joan Ruddock is an excellent MP but she seems to have very little knowledge of the realities of football."
Ivor Mason, managing director of Eventmasters, which is an official supplier of corporate hospitality for the match, said his firm had sold most of its packages.
Mr Mason said: "For something like an FA Cup final, around 80 per cent of corporate hospitality is sold before people even know who is going to be in the final."
An FA official said: "Ticket touting for football matches is illegal. Anyone without a ticket should not travel to Cardiff."
Meanwhile, Cardiff hotels are cashing in on the cup final by charging up to an extra £197 per room.
Cheapest
Many rooms are already booked and tourist agencies are having to offer accommodation in nearby towns.
Jury's Cardiff Hotel is charging £260 per night for a room, and guests have to stay a minimum of two nights, compared with the normal rate of £160 with no time limits.
The five-star Hilton Hotel has a special event charge which takes the cheapest published room rate from £150 to £265.At the Marriott in Cardiff a double will cost £295 and a single £245 - about three times the normal weekend rate of £98 for a double and £84 for a single.
In a random survey of hotels in the Welsh city, the Travelodge was the only hotel we contacted that had not increased the price of its rooms, which are £59.95.
Location
Shakila Ahmed, spokeswoman for Travelodge, said: "People will be in Cardiff to enjoy the match and they are looking for a comfortable room at a reasonable rate and that is what we offer.
"We certainly don't put up prices because of a special event."
A spokeswoman for the Hilton said: "The way we do our rates is very much demand-based. The Hilton in Cardiff is in a prime location and it does get high demand during this period."
Restaurants and bars across Cardiff are expecting a bumper pay day as thousands of fans arrive in the city.
A spokeswoman for the Cardiff Visitor Centre estimated the game would generate about £5m for the local economy.
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