Leicester ask fans to hand back tickets

Rugby European Cup:The European Rugby Cup (ERC) have decided to hang tough with Leicester Tigers following the laboured negotiations between themselves, Munster and the ERC over the allocation of tickets for the Heineken Cup quarter- final next month in Welford Road.

Leicester finally agreed to hand over 25 per cent of the capacity of the ground, as laid down in the competition's Participation Agreement, but have now discovered that they sold off too many tickets to accommodate Munster's 4,000 ticket requirement.

The result has been that Leicester have had to engage in an embarrassing plea to fans and staff to hand back tickets in order to honour the ERC contract. If that does not happen the ERC have threatened to move the match to a different venue.

The Leicester Tigers website yesterday described the club's plight and appealed to 147 supporters to return their tickets by bringing them back to the Welford Road ticket office.

Local paper, the Leicester Mercury, also carried a story stating that the club had to respond to an ultimatum from the ERC, who told them that they had 30 minutes to reply to a fax or the game would be moved from their home ground. Leicester have now been given a deadline of a week on Friday to fulfil their ticket obligation to Munster.

In what has turned into an absurd scramble to comply, chairman Peter Tom has had to hand back his tickets and Leicester are offering those loyal enough to follow his example the surreal experience of watching the game with club directors and injured players in a hospitality marquee outside the ground.

For one of the most professional clubs in Europe and current champions, Leicester have turned the ticket saga into a farce as the playing squad have also handed back tickets, along with staff and management, including chief executive Peter Wheeler and managing director David Clayton.

The Leicester Mercury quoted Clayton as saying: "If we don't supply Munster with their full allocation of tickets, there's a possibility that the game could be switched or disciplinary action taken against us.

"We have had tremendous support from Dean Richards, Martin Johnson and the players and staff, and now we are asking the supporters for their assistance.

"This is not the type of thing we like doing, but, given the ultimatum we received, we don't have a choice. We know from experience that some people who have bought tickets for the game won't be able to make it.

"If anyone can't make it to the game or want to help us, they can either return the ticket in person, give us a call or e-mail us and we will do the rest."

Meanwhile, the Welsh Rugby Union have been told to resolve the dispute over the number of regional teams in Wales by ERC.

WRU chief executive David Moffett attended a meeting at ERC headquarters in Dublin yesterday to outline plans for four regional teams to compete in the European Cup next season.

However, the Welsh Premiership clubs and the WRU have yet to agree on the number of teams to be created, with the WRU believed to favour four and some leading clubs preferring five.

England's Charlie Hodgson looks certain to miss the World Cup later this year after being ruled out of action for six months.

The Sale Sharks out-half suffered a knee injury during England's Six Nations Championship victory over Italy at Twickenham two days ago. And a scan last night revealed a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, meaning that he will be sidelined until mid-September.