[Albion] Rows of empty seats in Doha

[A1X]

In reality, there are hardly any countries where a World Cup would sell out with hardly anyone coming from abroad, and Qatar sure as hell ain’t one

 

[Springal]

Baffling - the FIFA site since the ‘resale’ date in September has had the odd games but nothing the last month or so. I know plenty of England fans out there also looking for tickets for other games

 

[The Fifth Column]

Empty seats?! Who could have predicted that coming?

 

[dwayne]

England game was sold out. Very few empty seats

 

[Driver8]

England game was sold out. Very few empty seats

Capacity was 68,000 attendance

England game was sold out. Very few empty seats

Actual attendance 45,000

 

[nwgull]

England game was sold out. Very few empty seats

Are you joking? Even the announced attendance was 75% of capacity and you could see loads of empty seats, especially in the upper tiers.

 

[Springal]

Are you joking? Even the announced attendance was 75% of capacity and you could see loads of empty seats, especially in the upper tiers.

It was sold out though.

 

[dwayne]

Capacity was 68,000 attendance

Actual attendance 45,000

Khalifa International Stadium, also known as National Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Doha, Qatar, as part of the Doha Sports City complex, which also includes Aspire Academy, Hamad Aquatic Centre, and the Aspire Tower. It is named after Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar's former Emir. Wikipedia
Capacity: 45,416

 

[dwayne]

Are you joking? Even the announced attendance was 75% of capacity and you could see loads of empty seats, especially in the upper tiers.

I know a couple of people there who said it was pretty full. People were late as they couldn't get in

 

[GT49er]

Can we stop arguing about how full (or not) the stadium was, and just all get together and agree it's a shambles and happily all BOOOOO together?

 

[Driver8]

Khalifa International Stadium, also known as National Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Doha, Qatar, as part of the Doha Sports City complex, which also includes Aspire Academy, Hamad Aquatic Centre, and the Aspire Tower. It is named after Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar's former Emir. Wikipedia
Capacity: 45,416

BBC were wrong then. They definitely said 68,000.

 

[dwayne]

BBC were wrong then. They definitely said 68,000.

Yep pretty embarrassing as well as they were in the stadium.

 

[Springal]

Just waited 2 hours to get on - only 3 games with tickets, the top 2 disabled only. Spain v Japan had cat 3

 

[Brovion]

Well, for Senegal v The Netherlands they’ve just announced an attendance that is more than the ground actually holds, while everyone on tv can see it’s half empty

Now in this instance, and in this instance only mind, I'm going to say so what? We do it all the time at the Amex, announce an 'attendance' figure that occasionally is only on nodding terms with with actual attendance figure. It's all about sales y'know, not how many people actually attended. Everybody does it. Don't complain. Granted the Qataris may have taken it to the next level, but hey, maybe they did sell more tickets than the actual capacity, gotta make the money back somehow. (Paul Barber is watching with interest as we speak).

So in this case Qatar and England are both guilty, and all those people who love to draw equivalences between the two nations and the two cultures can sit there nodding smugly, They were right all along.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Now in this instance, and in this instance only mind, I'm going to say so what? We do it all the time at the Amex, announce an 'attendance' figure that occasionally is only on nodding terms with with actual attendance figure. It's all about sales y'know, not how many people actually attended. Everybody does it. Don't complain. Granted the Qataris may have taken it to the next level, but hey, maybe they did sell more tickets than the actual capacity, gotta make the money back somehow. (Paul Barber is watching with interest as we speak).

So in this case Qatar and England are both guilty, and all those people who love to draw equivalences between the two nations and the two cultures can sit there nodding smugly, They were right all along.

Not comparable. Brighton play 19 league matches a season and the only time the attendance was as sparse as the Qatar games have been was the Brentford match when hardly anyone could get there. There may be up to a few thousand knocked off but never a quarter or half a stadium fewer than announced. In addition, a WC is supposed to be special, this one clearly isn't.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Now in this instance, and in this instance only mind, I'm going to say so what? We do it all the time at the Amex, announce an 'attendance' figure that occasionally is only on nodding terms with with actual attendance figure. It's all about sales y'know, not how many people actually attended. Everybody does it. Don't complain. Granted the Qataris may have taken it to the next level, but hey, maybe they did sell more tickets than the actual capacity, gotta make the money back somehow. (Paul Barber is watching with interest as we speak).

So in this case Qatar and England are both guilty, and all those people who love to draw equivalences between the two nations and the two cultures can sit there nodding smugly, They were right all along.

I’m tempted to quote my dear old mum and say two wrongs don’t make a right. I don’t agree with pretendences here either. Actual bums on seats gives a far better idea of interest in any given game.

However, Brighton have never actually released a figure that’s greater than the actual capacity and, to my cynical brain, it suggests a real lack of honesty.

I like World Cups and I’m an England fan but any small thing that points to this tournament being a failure can only be a good thing in the long run,

 

[Brovion]

Not comparable. Brighton play 19 league matches a season and the only time the attendance was as sparse as the Qatar games have been was the Brentford match when hardly anyone could get there. There may be up to a few thousand knocked off but never a quarter or half a stadium fewer than announced. In addition, a WC is supposed to be special, this one clearly isn't.

Blimey, it was meant as a light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek post, I wasn't seriously drawing comparisons. And for the avoidance of doubt, no, I don't really think Paul Barber is contemplating selling more tickets than the Amex capacity in case someone picks up on that.

 

[Johnny RoastBeef]

BBC were wrong then. They definitely said 68,000.

In the original bid Qatar promised to redevelop the Khalifa International Stadium and increase capacity to 68000.

Looks like they reneged and under delivered.

 

[Official Old Man]

Update on pretendances, capacities and attendances.
It seems there are two figures for the capacity of each ground. Whilst a ground may hold 30,000 the capacity is capped at 27,000 to allow for TV gantries and so forth. Once these are installed tickets are sold for seats now available. So that 27,000 may now raise to 28,000.
This I understand as I purchased a late ticket at the Amex for SA v Japan (Rugby) when a few seats became available once the camera rigs were installed in less room than expected.

 

[Lenny Rider]

Ticket touting must be right up there in Qatar with women‘s rights and homosexuality.