Wimbledon and Stub Hub are an Odd Combo

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 28th June 2013

Wimbledon and Stub Hub are an Odd Combo

epa03763236 A general view of Centre Court as Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland serves to Mathilde Johansson of France during their second round match for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 27 June 2013. EPA/ANDY RAIN |

Tennis fans arriving from the United States and other foreign countries have been duped by rogue internet sites offering non-existent Wimbledon tickets.

Thousands of pounds have been lost to sites posing as official suppliers over the last month.

In separate action, StubHub (one of the major online exchange traders in Wimbledon debenture tickets) has caused emergency talks between

Wimbledon’s All England Club (venue of “The Championships”) and the Lawn Tennis Association.

Wimbledon’s hierarchy is annoyed that the LTA has an official ticket partnership with StubHub for the Aegon Championship (Queen’s) played in the buildup to this fortnight when previously they had joined forces with the All England Club to combat the threat of secondary ticketing.

This year’s Championships has seen StubHub, set up shop at the Gardens tennis club, just a few hundred yards down the road from the All England Club (site of the Wimbledon “ Championships”) and right on the route thousands of spectators daily make from Southfields Underground station. StubHub has been reportedly asking £1,500 for a pair of tickets for Centre Court when the face value has been less than £100.

An LTA spokesman said: “StubHub is the official marketplace of the Aegon Championship and is neither an official sponsor of the LTA nor does it have any rights to The Championships.”

However, StubHub sales staff have referred to their LTA connections giving them the necessary rights for their Wimbledon initiative.

LTA commercial director Lawrence Robertson, who brokered the StubHub association, only informed the All England Club about it when it was practically a done deal, despite the sensitivity of ticketing issues around Wimbledon.

In turn the LTA is angry that StubHub has been using its partnership to legitimize its provocative Wimbledon box office when they have no rights to the Championships apart from being allowed to trade debentures.

As a result of the meeting, some of the gaudy StubHub branding will be removed from the Gardens club, including all references to the LTA.