Port Lincoln Football League grand final tickets sell out in hours with crowd numbers capped at 2000
Thousands of Port Lincoln footy fans will be forced to watch this weekend’s grand final from home after tickets sold out in hours to the COVID-restricted event.
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Friends and family will be forced to watch this Saturday’s Port Lincoln Football League grand final from home after tickets sold out online within hours.
Wayback and Tasman are set to meet to decide the 2020 premier at Centenary Oval in front of 2000 fans, with numbers restricted under SA Health guidelines.
League football operations manager Quinn Dutschke said that despite pleading with the State Government and SANFL to allow more spectators into the match, they could not allow any more fans in.
“We knew that we would be restricted with our capacity, we have been working to have the capacity increased working alongside SANFL to try and put some pressure on SA Health to consider our case,” Mr Dutschke said.
“Unfortunately this is where we are at and we just have to make the best of the situation that we are in.”
While all 2000 tickets have been allocated, the league will provide a live stream to all five games through local business On Eyre Media as it have done for the past several grandfinals
Just last month, the Port Lincoln Football League made the transition to digital ticketing after health regulations required them to keep a record of who enters the ground.
Kathy Anne, a local grandparent who attended her grandsons games every week commended the league for putting people’s health first.
“It’s very disappointing but I am also respectful that the league has done an amazing job and are just doing the best they can,” she said.
“The worst part is my daughter asked me if she could buy my ticket for me and I said no because I could do it.”
While the devoted grandmother won’t be at her grandson’s under-15 game, she will be turning to the live stream to see how the game unfolds.
“He’ll have his mum and dad there and I’ll watch the live stream but a great effort from the league to still have a grand final weekend in these uncertain times.”
Tasman Roosters President Steve Prout said his camp understood the difficulty surrounding the restrictions.
“It’s disappointing for sports people,” Mr Prout said.
“I honestly believe we could have had somewhere between 3500 to 4000 at the football but the rules are the rules and we don’t have much choice I guess.”
Grand final day kicks off at 8am when Lincoln South’s under 13 take on the Tasman Roosters.
The A-grade decider between Wayback and Tasman will get underway at 2.40pm.