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One big party Thousands of ticketless Celtic fans expected in SpainPosted: Tuesday May 20, 2003 6:27 AMSEVILLE, Spain (Reuters) -- Over 20,000 ticketless Celtic fans are expected to converge on the Andalucian capital of Seville for Wednesday's UEFA Cup final against FC Porto, a Spanish government official said Monday. Juan Ignacio Zoido told reporters it was very difficult to calculate the exact number of fans who would make the trip to the Southern Spanish city, but the British Embassy had provided them with a rough estimate to help with security arrangements. All 52,000 tickets for the final at the city's Estadio Olimpico have been sold out. Zoido said that the Spanish Government would be providing an extra 1,000 National Policemen and 300 members of the Civil Guard to cope with the influx of Celtic fans. He added that supporters from as far a field as Australia and the United States were expected to make the trip to witness the Glasgow club play its first European final in 33 years, but that he was not anticipating any serious security problems. "We want to turn the UEFA Cup final into a party," he said. "It will give us the chance to show we live in one of the best cities in the world." The Scottish side arrived in Spain on Sunday and is preparing for the final in the nearby town of Jerez. It is scheduled to travel the 80 kilometers to Seville on Tuesday.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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