THE manner in which tickets were distributed for the Bermuda-Trinidad match last weekend, particularly the 700 extra made available the day before the match, has become as contentious an issue as the referee decision that resulted in Trinidad's second goal.

History was made as an international football match in Bermuda was sold out before the match for the first time. But there were plenty of sob stories to be told as dozens of fans who lined up outside the BFA office on Cedar Avenue failed to secure tickets for the match.

Winston Lottimore was there but he was one of the lucky ones. Deservedly so, for not many people would have arrived on the steps of the BFA office as early as he did. A passing policeman might have thought he was up to mischief sitting in the doorway of an office building in the early hours. The conversation might have gone something like this:

Policeman: "What you doing, sonny, you better go on your way."

Lottimore: "But officer, I'm here to buy tickets for the football match."

Surely the policeman would have found the explanation a bit far-fetched. After all who has football tickets on their mind at 4 a.m.?

Mr. Lottimore did, and after failing to get tickets the first time around he wasn't going to miss out this time.

"From trying to get tickets for the Music Festival I knew you had to get here early," explained the 32-year-old who waited patiently for six hours before the tickets went on sale. He earned the right to be first in line and was able to get his six tickets before BFA staff limited the number of tickets per person to four.

Most of those in the line - about three-quarters of them - failed to get tickets which left one disappointed fan wondering where the bulk of the 700 tickets went. He heard that tickets were being reserved over the phone.

"If you want to get tickets you have to get here early, it's the same way in the States, where you've got people lined up for days, camped out," said Lottimore just before the doors opened.