Some Belfast boxing fans were beaten to the punch yesterday while trying to get tickets to see their local hero, Carl Frampton.
Tickets for Frampton’s homecoming fight at the SSE Arena on July 29 went on sale yesterday at 10am, however they sold out within minutes and many fans were left heartbroken after queuing up for hours at ticket vendors only to be turned away.
The 'Return of the Jackal' show, which pits the Tiger’s Bay fighter against the 23-year-old Mexican Andres Gutierrez, listed tickets at £45 for general admission and £75 and £115 for seats closer to ringside.
Two fans, Theresa and Annie McDonald, lined up outside the DV8 store in north Belfast at 8am and were fourth in the queue at the ticket kiosk.
However, when the pair reached the till, no general admission tickets were left and instead they were offered higher-priced tickets, which they couldn’t afford.
Theresa McDonald said when the legions of fans outside the store heard the news there was 'chaos'.
"It’s absolutely ridiculous. We came down here at eight in the morning, just to make sure we got tickets," she said.
"They were going to be a surprise for my dad for father’s day and now we’ve had to go away empty handed."
Ms McDonald said dozens of other homegrown fans were in the same position.
"Like a lot of people in north Belfast, where loads of Carl’s fans are from, we couldn’t fork out that kind of money. We're disgusted," she said.
It is understood the majority of tickets were snapped up quickly online, leaving those who queued up at Ticketmaster outlets in person empty-handed.
Hundreds also took to social media to vent their frustration at the situation.
Ticketmaster did not respond to our request for comment.
