Bruno's Magpies insist Derry City offered 'best case scenario' as scramble for Euro ticket begins
BRUNO's Magpies Sporting Director Jansen Dalli says the club's 'hands are tied' when it comes to Derry City's ticket allocation for next Thursday's Uefa Conference League first round qualifier in Gibraltar.
There promises to be an almighty scramble for tickets for those Derry fans who have already booked flights and accommodation in the Iberian peninsula when they are released on general sale on the club's website at 9am on Friday morning.
Just 256 tickets have been made available for the Brandywell outfit for the first leg tie at the 770 seater Europa Point Stadium which has been selected to host all three of Gibraltar's European representatives' respective qualifiers this season.
The much larger and easily accessible Victoria Stadium - the national stadium - usually hosts the Magpies' home fixtures but due to stand renovations, they, along with Shelbourne's first round opponents St Joseph's and Lincoln Red Imps, must play home matches at Europa Point on the very tip of the peninsula.
And while Dalli claims it's 'regrettable' that his club cannot offer any additional tickets, he believes the Magpies have done ‘everything possible’ to accommodate the travelling Derry supporters following a 'complicated' logistical process.
"You have no idea how complicated it has been but we've just sent Derry an allocation of 256," he confirmed.
Bearing in mind Derry will be receiving 35 percent of the stadium capacity when Magpies are obliged to offer just five per cent, Dalli believes it's 'the best case scenario' for travelling fans.
"We only have to give 70 tickets, which is five percent of the ground. So the ticket allocation to Derry should be 70," he explained.
"The Vice President, Aaron Edwards has been negotiating with Derry and Derry obviously want more. They want 400 but we can't. I know the fans won't be hooligans but we just can't segregate the whole stadium. It's one complete stand, there's nothing more.
"I understand Derry fans want to come. Remember if we were to sell 2,000 tickets to Derry, it's money for our club. Do you really think I don't want to do that?," he asked.
"I would give them the whole of the small stand and half of the big stand if they wanted it if it was at Victoria Stadium. I would give them 2,500 but our hands are tied. This is the best case scenario.
"Even thanks to us I think Shelbourne have got a really good deal by how lenient we've been in terms of ticket allocation. They (St Joseph's) wanted to give less."