FOOTBALL: Early buyers boost sales

LIZ SEARL

Although Euro 96 is still seven months away and the draw has yet to be made, more than 65 per cent of available tickets have already been sold.

England are the only team who know where they will be playing (at Wembley) in the group matches. If they proceed, England would play at Wembley or Anfield in the quarter-finals and Wembley or Old Trafford in the semi-finals. Wembley has now sold 86 per cent of its current allocation for all matches.

Ticket prices for the tournament range from pounds 15 to pounds 135. It is only possible to buy tickets for the knock-out stages if tickets have also been bought for group games. This means that in order to purchase one ticket for the final, a minimum of pounds 270 must be spent on a total of at least 11 tickets covering matches at all stages of the tournament.

A second tranche of tickets will be allocated after the draw on 17 December. Each competing visiting team has been allocated a total of 7,000 tickets per match, with a larger allocation being made for the final.

Tickets may only be obtained by postal application. Forms are available from from any branch of Midland Bank.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE Group matches: Group A Wembley (8, 15 and 18 June) and Villa Park (10, 13 and 18 June). Group B: Elland Road (9, 15 and 18 June) and St James' Park (10, 13 and 18 June). Group C: Old Trafford (9, 16 and 19 June) and Anfield (11, 14 and 19 June). Group D: Hillsborough (9, 16 and 19 June) and City Ground, Nottingham (11, 14 and 19 June). Quarter-finals: 22 June (Anfield and Wembley); 23 June (Old Trafford and Villa Park). Semi-finals: 26 June (Old Trafford and Wembley). Final: 30 June (Wembley).