Paying the mobile price for a SOLD OUT message!

Football FA Cup 1964. Cup final tickets are sold to West Ham fans.

Forgive me for a few minutes – age has its downsides but that Manchester United replay tickets are officially sold out with all the problems many have experienced along the way got me thinking.

Like many others out there I recall the days vividly when I queued up around the Boleyn for tickets – there were occasions when I was there, with most others, for a very long time but at least you knew where you were if and when they were all gone.

I read this morning on social media that people had been queuing digitally for their United tickets only to be told after an hour on the phone that it was SOLD OUT!

How much did people pay on their mobiles to learn what we used to discover for free on occasions…that we’d HAD IT!

Now you can scoff at my old time memories as much as you like but I preferred it back then when at least you knew where you were and there were no hidden payments involved for the privilege of being told.

The phone bills and £1.50 booking fees to get hold of a ticket show that progress has much to answer for and that maybe the old ways weren’t so bad after all.

We can’t turn back the clocks but the ticket problems are far from the  panacea of perfection many would have you believe.