2010 World Cup Too Expensive for England Fans?

Last week it was Franz Beckenbauer who suggested that the apparent disinterest among Germany fans for buying World Cup tickets was a matter of economics, and we wrote about it on this blog ...

And now we have someone at the Times of London reporting the sobering numbers that a firm has crunched, about how much it would cost to follow the English team all the way to the final. (As if, but let's just go with the idea ...)

So, how much to see the Three Lions through to the imaginary final?

A whopping 6,400 pounds sterling. Or $10,300 at current exchange rates. That includes airfare, tickets and housing -- and it appears as if housing is the backbreaking part of this deal.

England, also, has tickets left over from its allocation. Something like 6,000. Which seems almost unimaginable, considering the madness of English fans -- until you begin to check the cost.

Note that the story mentions that SA2010 is going to announce a new ticket system tomorrow ... and that there may be excess tickets floating around during the tournament.

Which strikes me that ... if you are brave (or foolhardy, perhaps) ... buy nothing ahead of time ... and just show up.

Buy a plane ticket in early June, turn up in Johannesburg a day or two before the June 12 match against the U.S.. Get tickets from touts at the last minute. Just show up at hotels that, a month before the event, realize they outpriced the market and stay for far less than they are charging all these worry-wart months-ahead itinerary freaks ...

And it might be only horribly expensive. Not ruinously expensive.

The story also notes the obvious: If fans from First World countries can't afford SA2010, how are the African and Latin fans going to be able to pay?

(And thanks to David Lassen for pointing out to me the Times story.)