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FA site crashes in Wembley rush Wembley match 'sold out' in hours
(about 4 hours later)
Demand for tickets for the first competitive match at London's rebuilt Wembley stadium has caused the Football Association's website to crash. Tickets for the first competitive match at London's rebuilt Wembley stadium sold out within hours of going on sale, the Football Association said.
Sixty thousand £10 tickets went on sale at 1500 GMT for England's under-21 match against Italy on 24 March. Demand for 60,000 £10 tickets for England's under-21s match against Italy was so great, the FA's website crashed around 1500 GMT when the sale began.
It is a test event which it is hoped will allow a safety certificate to be issued, enabling Wembley to stage May's FA Cup final before a 90,000 crowd. The 24 March match is a test event which is hoped will allow a safety certificate to be issued.
The FA said there were early problems, but they had been fixed. It would enable Wembley to stage May's FA Cup final before a 90,000 crowd.
A spokesman said tickets had been selling at the rate of 6,000 an hour. An FA spokesman said tickets had been selling at the rate of 6,000 an hour and early problems with the website had been fixed.
He added the FA was confident it would sell-out the 60,000 tickets, an "unheard of" amount for an under-21 game. The FA had been confident it would sell out the 60,000 tickets, an "unheard of" amount for an under-21 game, he added.
But still not every attempt to buy tickets was successful. At 1830 GMT on Monday the site was still carrying this message: "Apologies, but due to massive interest in the England Under 21 match at the new Wembley Stadium, we have currently closed the queue for tickets.
"Please try again later."
The 24 March game is one of two "ramp-up" events that will enable the £757m stadium to test its facilities and obtain a safety certificate from Brent Council.The 24 March game is one of two "ramp-up" events that will enable the £757m stadium to test its facilities and obtain a safety certificate from Brent Council.
The first "ramp-up" event, also with a 60,000 capacity, is a Community Day primarily for local Brent residents to visit and view the facility on 17 March.The first "ramp-up" event, also with a 60,000 capacity, is a Community Day primarily for local Brent residents to visit and view the facility on 17 March.
Keys handoverKeys handover
If these events are a success they will pave the way for the FA Cup Final to be held there, with a full crowd capacity, on 19 May.If these events are a success they will pave the way for the FA Cup Final to be held there, with a full crowd capacity, on 19 May.
Construction firm Multiplex handed over the keys to the stadium to the FA on Friday, signalling an end to building work.Construction firm Multiplex handed over the keys to the stadium to the FA on Friday, signalling an end to building work.
The project has been dogged by delays and increasing costs and will open more than a year late.The project has been dogged by delays and increasing costs and will open more than a year late.
The old Wembley, which opened in 1924, closed in 2000 and was demolished in 2002.The old Wembley, which opened in 1924, closed in 2000 and was demolished in 2002.
FA chief executive Brian Barwick described the handover of the keys as a "significant step" towards staging the FA Cup Final.FA chief executive Brian Barwick described the handover of the keys as a "significant step" towards staging the FA Cup Final.
The first concert scheduled for the revamped stadium is set to be by George Michael on 9 June.The first concert scheduled for the revamped stadium is set to be by George Michael on 9 June.