Massed Fans In A League Of Their Own

Newcastle Herald

Thursday January 24, 2008

By MATTHEW KELLY

NEWCASTLE Jets fans sent the system into meltdown yesterday as they snapped up tickets for their team's A-League soccer major semi-final.

Fans waited for about two hours at ticketing venues in the Hunter for a chance to buy tickets to Sunday's clash with the Central Coast Mariners.

The frenetic morning peaked when the computer system that processed ticket sales crashed for about 15 minutes.

"We think it was just the huge demand on the system," Jets ticketing manager Neville Bajzath said.

"It's been a huge response this morning, it's fantastic."

At least 14,000 tickets had been sold by early yesterday afternoon.

An official breakdown of ticket sales was not available but a significant proportion of yesterday's tickets were sold to Mariners fans.

Penny Davies and sons Jordan, 11, and Mitchell, 8, waited 90 minutes outside EnergyAustralia Stadium, at Broadmeadow, for tickets.

Ms Davies said she bought nine tickets for the game.

"It's been a long wait but I'm sure it's going to be worth it," she said.

In a sign of shifting football code allegiances, Jordan said he and his brother preferred soccer to rugby league.

"Mr favourite player is Joel Griffiths," Jordan, who plays soccer for the Cardiff Tigers, said.

"We are not really into the Knights [rugby league side]."

Jordan predicted the Jets would win Sunday's top-two match 10-0.

Tracey Neilson and her daughter Ashleigh, 5, arrived at EnergyAustralia Stadium at 9.20am and received their tickets 90 minutes later.

"We went to buy tickets at Wests Leagues Club but the queue was too long, so we came here [EnergyAustralia]," she said.

Van Egmond baits Mariners,

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