The FA will "remind supporters of ticketing procedures after thousands of fans missed the start of England’s victory over Slovakia due to delayed entry into Wembley," according to James Olley of the London EVENING STANDARD. Extensive security searches and long queues at the box office "prompted many supporters to miss kickoff and a significant part of the first half" as England beat Slovakia 2-1 in Monday’s World Cup qualifier. The FA reportedly believes the issue centered "primarily on late arrivals and fans not following instructions regarding print-at-home tickets." Wembley’s electronic turnstiles "cannot read mobile phones and those who attempted to gain access through this method were forced to then queue at the box office to receive a print out" (EVENING STANDARD, 9/5). SKY SPORTS reported the FA "played down" reports that up to 5,000 supporters were unable to get into Wembley before kickoff. The FA said that the figure of late entrants was "in the hundreds, rather than thousands, and caused by a number of factors." The organization confirmed all supporters were inside by 8:05pm, 20 minutes after kickoff, but "urged fans to ensure they turn up early" (SKY SPORTS, 9/5).
