Pokal Semi-Final Tickets

This was always going to be a busy weekend.  A mad scramble for cup tickets and a Hertha Bundesliga game all within 24 hours!  Hertha have reached the semi-final of the DFB Pokal (cup) for the first time in 35 years – quite an achievement and everyone wants to be there.
 
On Friday Hertha were releasing their allocation of tickets for the DFB Pokal Semi-Final cup game against Borussia Dortmund.  For the first two weeks the tickets are only available to members and season ticket holders.  Members are entitled to buy up to four tickets each and season ticket holders have their seats reserved until the end of February.  Members however could only buy the additional four tickets in person and not online.

I can hear you thinking “what’s the panic, you have two weeks to get yourself organised?”.  The devil was in the detail and in this case that last clause.  Members had to buy the additional four tickets in person and not online.  As a result many people wanting to buy additional tickets rushed in on the first day so they could get the best seats.  I walked past the Europa-Center Fanshop 20 minutes after the sale opened and as you can see below the queues were just crazy!  I gather it was much the same at the other fanshops in the city.

I joined the queue about four hours later and although it was a little shorter it was still pretty long. For the first hour of waiting it wasn’t too bad as the alternative was shopping with my wife (a lucky escape). After that first hour however it was getting increasingly cold as we were all just standing around in temperatures just over freezing with a cold wind making is worse still. By the time I got to the door of the Fanshop I could hardly feel my feet!  It was worth it in the end my ticket was purchased and an afternoon being dragged around the shops on the Ku’damm avoided.  I really should have gone better equipped but hey, hindsight is a wonderful thing!

The numbers of people who were prepared to stand in a line in the cold waiting for the tickets could not fail to impress. The motivation behind their enthusiasm may be a little less clear however. I couldn't help wondering how many of the additional tickets being purchased will end up on eBay and people wanted to be there early to they could get the most saleable tickets. Perhaps I am being unduly cynical here but, perhaps not.  One thing is for sure, come what may, there will be good showing from the Hertha faithful on the day.

There was a bunch of English lads about 20m or so back in the queue from me. I don't know but I suspect they had no idea what they were queuing for and that they could get tickets for the Saturday game at the stadium far more easily. They appeared happy enough and regular scouting parties came back to them with drinks and fast food!

What was even more surprising was the numbers of people queuing out of the fanshop at the Olympiastadion.  The club had said via their website that trying to buy the tickets then would cause unnecessary delays but nonetheless queue they did.  I feel sure that the week of the semi-final will bring a remarkable week of football in Berlin with one match against Borussia Dortmund and, a few days later another against Bayern.  Who knows what the footballing gods will bring the Old Lady that week but it will be a blast watching her give it her best shot!