Wimbledon 2016: Thousands queue for first 'People's Sunday' since 2004 after tickets are touted for eight times face value

Sell-out: All 22,000 tickets for today's play went in just 27 minutes
PA
Sebastian Mann3 July 2016

Tennis fans have queued in their thousands for the first “People’s Sunday” at Wimbledon since the days of Tim Henman.

All England Club bosses scheduled play on the tournament’s middle Sunday for only the fourth time in the event’s 139-year history after downpours disrupted much of last week’s play.

About 22,000 tickets were released online and then snapped up within 27 minutes – before being sold on by touts for up to eight times face value.

Today those lucky enough to get hold of ground passes stood in long snaking queues as they waited for the gates to open at SW19.

The lucky ones: Those who managed to snap up tickets queue outside SW19 this morning
PA

Serena Williams is among players taking to the court in her third round clash against German Annika Beck.

Anticipation: Tennis fans were blessed with sunshine
PA

Touts took advantage of major demand for the first middle Sunday since 2004 by listing tickets online at inflated prices after they sold out through Ticketmaster in minutes.

Some 110,000 hopeful tennis fans flooded the official site knowing there would be no chance to queue outside Wimbledon on the day for a seat.

Later one seller on Gumtree was offering a Sunday grounds ticket for £160 – eight times the official price of £20.

It sparked an angry response from the All England Club, with a spokesman saying that touting tickets was a breach of the guidelines and was “not in the spirit” of the event.

Wimbledon 2016 - In pictures

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He told the Sunday Times: “We have measures in place at the gates to detect whether someone is attempting to enter with a ticket which hasn’t been bought in their name and if necessary will refuse admittance.”

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