It's the mother of all scrambles as pregnant fan gets her hands on Take That tickets... but thousands miss out as websites crash

By SARAH BULL

Thrilled: One pregnant fan poses with her tickets after queuing for hours outside Manchester Stadium


Thousands of Take That fans have been left devastated after being unable to purchase tickets for the group's Progress Live 2011 tour.

However, several people who decided to camp out at the various stadiums in a bid to get their hands on the hotly-anticipated tickets found their determination paid off.

And one of the lucky ones was a certain expectant fan, who decided to queue for tickets despite being heavily pregnant.

Posing with one hand on her stomach and the other clutching her precious tickets, the woman smiled widely as she was photographed outside Manchester Stadium.

After millions of keen fans logged onto the internet this morning in the hope of getting their hands on some of the hotly-anticipated tickets, many of the ticket websites crashed as they were unable to cope with the demand.

However, a statement from the group urged Take That fans to keep trying as tickets are currently still available to buy.

The statement read: 'Due to totally unprecedented demand all ticket agents have struggled to cope with the number of people logging on to try and buy Take That tickets.


Ecstatic: A group of fans who queued for hours at Manchester Stadium pose with their Take That tickets


Excited: (Left to right) Carol Anne King, Joanna Webb and Sam Owen from Wednesbury with their tickets outside Villa Park, Birmingham


'The technology available has not been able to keep up with demand however all ticket agents are confident they will be able to process all enquiries so are asking fans to keep trying.'

The demand for the tickets, which went on sale at 9am this morning, is also causing issues with the UK telephone network, according to Ticketmaster.

Following the unprecedented demand, Take That decided to put three more dates up for sale, in Sunderland, Glasgow and Birmingham on May 31st, June 24th, and June 28th respectively.


Still smiling: Fans who stayed overnight seen outside Villa Park this morning



Desperation: Many fans queued overnight in a bid to get their hands on tickets in Birmingham


The online retailer added in a statement: 'Call volume is at least twice that of the Michael Jackson on sale last March. We are working to resolve the issues and we are confident that fans will be able to purchase tickets and we ask that they keep trying.'

BT added: 'Despite huge levels of demand this morning for Take That tickets, the UK’s telephone network coped well with the volume of calls received, which was 3-4 times above normal levels.

'Some traffic management was introduced to allow the network to cope with the high volume of calls, so some people may have experienced difficulty in getting through on the phone to some ticket outlets.'

And while general admission tickets have not yet sold out, there are already thousands of people putting their tickets up for sale on auction sites including eBay.


Comeback: Take That announced their tour plans earlier this week


Back on the road: The boys originally put 15 UK dates on sale but already added three more dates


Two tickets for Take That's performance at Manchester were already fetching a staggering price of £357, while a pair of standing tickets for Wembley were at £405 with over half an hour left on the auction.

One fan wrote on Twitter: 'Isn't it really annoying that many of the people buying #TakeThat tickets are doing so to sell on at extortionist prices?'

One fan, Laura Docherty, wrote on the band's Facebook page: 'I got tickets. But I've never experienced every website down. Got tickets in the end. Good luck to you all who are trying.'

There have also been warnings from the police urging fans not to buy tickets for the tour from any unofficial websites, as many sites have already been set up specifically to sell fake tickets.

Detective Inspector Sean Crotty, of the Metropolitan Police Economic and Specialist Crime Command, says, 'There are huge numbers of Take That fans who will be desperate to get hold of tickets for these concerts.


Early risers: The queue outside Villa Park in the early hours of the morning


Dedication: Claire Bateman, Caroline Chalmers, Emma Hurd and Kelly Hurd decided to sleep outside to ensure they were first in line


'However, buying tickets from unofficial websites or agencies could result in them losing money, having their credit cards details compromised and ultimately losing out on the opportunity to see the band.'

Take That's last tour, Circus, broke British box office records when it sold 600,000 tickets in less than five hours in 2009. It was seen by more than one million people.
The group formed in 1990, but Robbie Williams quit in 1995 to pursue a solo career.

In 1996, Take That split, but Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Howard Donald and Jason Orange reformed in 2005 and have since released two hit albums.

The group are already causing a storm with their new single The Flood, which is widely agreed by Take That fans to be one of their best songs ever.


Sellout: Take That's last tour, Circus, broke British box office records when it sold 600,000 tickets in less than five hours in 2009


source :dailymail