Flying start to Fifa World Cup sales for Germany 2006

http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/tickets/index.htmlFlying start to FIFA World Cup ticket sales: 500,000 tickets ordered1 February 2005by OC 2006 FIFA World Cup

Some 70,000 football fans around the world applied for no less than 500,000 match tickets in the first 16 hours after tickets went on sale on www.FIFAworldcup.com. Tickets sales for the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ commenced at midnight on 1 February 2005, triggering an anticipated stampede.
"The orders came flying in as soon as the starting whistle went at midnight. Fortunately, our technical system withstood the initial stampede and proved its reliability. We have achieved our objective of avoiding excessive pressure in the initial phase," claimed Horst R. Schmidt, who is responsible for ticketing among other matters in his role as senior vice-president of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee.
Fans from the host country have proven the early pace-setters in the race for the 812,000 tickets available in the first phase of sales: 84% of the orders in the first twelve hours came from Germany. However, the 18th FIFA World Cup has already demonstrated its enormous global appeal. Orders from a total of 108 countries were recorded on the computers of the FIFA World Cup Ticketing Center, from nations as far and wide as Macao and Burkina Faso.
Applications have flooded in at an incredible pace since the bustling nocturnal start. Ticket requests in Europe were averaging 40,000 enquiries per hour between the start of work and midday.
The first phase of sales ends on 31 March 2005 at midnight. "Now we can watch the remaining sales period unfold in peace. I stress that all regular ticket applications we process in the first sales period have the same chance of success, irrespective of when they are received," insisted Horst R. Schmidt.