Match point

Chapter 1548
Hustle and bustle, crowds of people...

Early in the morning, the small town of Wimbledon could already feel the majesty of the highest temperature this year. Although it was not yet noon, the temperature was already striding towards [-] degrees Celsius. The golden sun shone on the grass, like A quiet rural picture is slowly laid out.

However, the turbulent crowd broke the tranquility, and the town was involved in the storm of the carnival.

In the other three Grand Slams, the kick-off time of the center court is often later, but the kick-off time of other courts is earlier, forming a dislocation; but this is not the case in Wimbledon, all courts are uniformly kicked off at [-]:[-] p.m. , Spectators can come to watch the game after lunch.

At this time, it was just after nine o'clock, and there were still four hours before the kick-off time, but Wimbledon was already full of people. Is it too early?
Not so.

To be precise, if it is a fan who has only arrived at Wimbledon now, it will be a layman at first glance, and it is already too late.

Spectators arrive early at Wimbledon just to buy tickets.

The reason is that Wimbledon has preserved a very special one among its countless traditions:
Line up for tickets.

In the Internet age, online ticket purchases through websites and apps have become popular. Like the U.S. Open, ticket purchase channels will be launched a year in advance to remind fans to set time reminders and wait for ticketing notices. Audiences only need to click on the website Tickets can be purchased in a few clicks.

However, Wimbledon is an exception. They still insist that spectators need to arrive at the scene and queue up to buy tickets.

Of course, Wimbledon is not stubborn. They insist on the club membership system, and also set up some ways to buy tickets that keep pace with the times.

The first way is to register online in advance for the lottery, that is, to draw a lottery. Register with the official six months in advance every year, and then wait for the lottery. The probability is very, very low.

The second is to buy tickets online. Wimbledon has also launched an online ticket purchase system, which goes on sale the night before the match day, and each person is limited to two tickets. That is to say, if you want to watch the fourth match day, just You must prepare to grab tickets on the night of the third match day.

The key point is that the online ticketing channel only puts [-] tickets—not one stadium, but all the stadiums add up to a total of [-] tickets. After being distributed to different stadiums, the average number of tickets per stadium is less than [-]. The first lottery is stronger, but not much stronger.

The third option, buying bonds issued by Wimbledon or joining the All England Club for tickets, is limited to a few wealthy individuals.

The fourth is to queue up to buy tickets.

Perhaps, some people will wonder, leaving aside the third unworkable ordinary ticket purchase method, the first two ticket purchase methods are not humane, but seem to be making things difficult for the audience. What is the Wimbledon organizing committee thinking?
Actually, it's not complicated.

Wimbledon respects tradition, and they always firmly believe that the way of queuing up to buy tickets can mobilize the enthusiasm and enthusiasm of the audience; moreover, Wimbledon has set up a series of related measures to encourage it.

For example, Wimbledon reserves the best seat for the same ticket price to the audience who line up all night. That is to say, the audience sitting in the rock zone at the front of the stadium is often not the distinguished members or local tyrants, but the most enthusiastic and crazy people. A group of fans.

For example, Wimbledon has set up a series of thresholds in order to limit scalpers, and set up a procedure before entering the final ticket window:
The staff will distribute the wristbands one by one on the spot, the central court is silver, the No. [-] court is pink, the No. [-] court is blue, and so on. Walk forward with the bracelet, and when you arrive at the ticket window, you must buy tickets according to the bracelet .

At the same time, everyone can only have one bracelet, so the staff can clearly calculate the number of tickets sold. Once the bracelets corresponding to the stadium are distributed, it means that the stadium is full, and the audience behind will naturally be unable to buy. Either choose another course, or give up.

Of course, scalpers are still unstoppable, but it is precisely because of Wimbledon's barriers that the cost of scalpers has risen, and the final ticket price is incredible.

Take Center Court as an example, the unified price is 78 pounds, but after the scalpers change hands, the price is [-] pounds, which is nearly [-] times higher. Ordinary fans often cannot afford it, which greatly weakens the existence of the buyer’s market. , which further led to the reduction of cattle.

Most importantly, Wimbledon encourages spectators to line up for tickets themselves:
The tickets are also 78 pounds. If you can stand at the forefront of the ticket buying team, then the stadium will be in the first row, and you can enjoy the game of the giants at close range; but if you arrive late, you may have to do three In the corner of the top floor of the building, the game must be seen through a telescope.

In addition, just like buying tickets online, every time you line up to buy tickets, you can only buy tickets for the day, and you cannot buy tickets for the future in advance; for fans, it is a good thing and a bad thing. Buy tickets after the stadium arrangement is released——

This way, you can make sure you enjoy the game you want to see, rather than blindly booking a ticket a week in advance only to find out that your favorite player has been moved to another stadium.

It is precisely because of this that countless fans often come to the scene one night in advance to set up tents, wait here all night long for the opening of the ticket window the next morning, and buy tickets for their favorite games as soon as possible.

Some fanatical fans even lined up at 27:78 a.m. the previous day in order to enjoy the game of the Big Four. After queuing for [-] hours, they got their wish to buy tickets for the Central Court—just [-] pounds.

To this end, Wimbledon has specially set up parking lots, campsites, luggage storage, dining cars, mobile toilets, etc., and there are staff to provide help at any time. The most beautiful scenery in Bourdain.

Perhaps, some people are curious, how did Wimbledon, which sticks to tradition, become a holy place for tennis?

The long queue to buy tickets is just the tip of the iceberg.

Fans who come to buy tickets at the scene are like attending a rock concert. They come to Wimbledon for a special pilgrimage. It is a ceremony, a party, and a carnival. Enthusiasm and passion.

In the Internet age, while life is convenient, all things/resources are so easy to get, so that people do not feel the weight of the "process". One click on the screen can complete the ticket purchase and go to the scene to queue up for [-] hours to complete the purchase. Tickets, that experience is very different.

The retro of Wimbledon makes people feel the weight of life again. Those cumbersome, complicated and even rigid traditions are all over the corners of the event, showing the charm of tennis and participating in major events bit by bit. That's what makes Wimbledon unique.

(End of this chapter)