Tuesday 9 February 2016 15:14, UK
Angry Northern Ireland fans have called on UEFA to act over the ticket allocation process for this summer's Euro 2016 finals.
Many fans appear to have missed out tickets for their country's three group games in France despite a system which is supposed to reward those who attend more qualifying games.
The Irish Football Association said it compiled a priority list of supporters which it passed on to UEFA - but the Amalgamation of Official NI Supporters Clubs says the tickets appear to have been distributed arbitrarily.
Spokesman Gary McAllister said: "We have been inundated with calls from fans who attended all 10 qualification games yet have been informed they have not received tickets.
"At the same time, we know of fans who attended less games and got fewer points, but they have got tickets. It beggars belief and it is incumbent on the IFA to get some answers over how this happened."
Northern Ireland start their finals campaign against Poland on June 12 - a game which appears to have been particularly affected by the ticketing issues - before facing Ukraine in Lyon on June 16, and Germany in Paris five days later.
Irish FA chief executive Patrick Nelson said the IFA are continuing to press for discussions with UEFA over the why the issue arose and how it might be resolved.
Nelson told the Belfast Telegraph: "Since we were alerted to the problem, I have been straight on to UEFA at high levels to discuss the issue relating to tickets which have been allocated that maybe should not have been allocated.
"I have told them that supporters of many years standing have not received tickets for the Poland game and I have told UEFA they need to resolve this issue.
"It is a major issue and it needs to be resolved straight away and have as positive an outcome as possible."
McAllister proposed one possible solution which would involve UEFA retaking ownership of tickets for Northern Ireland matches that become available via the upcoming resale portal, which opens in March.
When UEFA launched the first stage of its ticket sales process last May, fans were able to buy tickets without knowing which two countries would be involved in the game in question.
Inevitably that means some will be offered for exchange or resale, and McAllister added: "We are not asking UEFA to take tickets off those to whom they have already been allocated.
"But they must give serious thought to reallocating some of those that become available, and working closely with the IFA to identify those who are most deserving of receiving them."
