Outcry as MPs given free World Cup tickets(Filed: 04/06/2006)TelegraphMPs have defended the decision of the House of Commons football team to accept free World Cup tickets from the fast-food giant McDonald's.
McDonald's - an official tournament sponsor - said it had supplied 23 tickets to the team of MPs and researchers for the game against Paraguay in Frankfurt.
But fans' groups criticised the move - complaining that thousands of ordinary fans had been unable to attend because of the lack of public tickets.
The £70 tickets received by the MPs command the best view of the Frankfurt pitch and are fetching up to £1,000 on the black market.
John Leech, Liberal Democrat MP for Manchester Withington and a member of the parliamentary football club, said the team was travelling to Germany to play two charity matches, and individuals had paid all their own travel and accommodation expenses.
He said: "I've been a season ticket holder for Manchester City for 22 years and I can safely say I'm a proper football fan.
"The tickets that have been provided for us would have been given out by McDonald's to somebody else, and I'm sure there's plenty of fans that would like to see the game as I would."
Shahid Malik, Labour MP for Dewsbury and member of the all-party football group, told Sky News: "These people play a very important role in football. I do not think we should discriminate against politicians just because they are politicians.
"I would take them - the face value I would give to charity."
Kevin Miles, international co-ordinator of the Football Supporters Federation, said McDonald's had handed over the tickets to curry favour with the MPs and criticised the politicians for asking for them.
He also said today's revelations reflected a "chronic" problem in which Fifa distributed 40 per cent of World Cup tickets to sponsors, hospitality packages and non-competing football associations.
He said: "They've got the tickets because they're MPs, but the biggest crime is that McDonald's is in the position to give them out.
"They're doing it to buy themselves influence, let's make no mistake about it."
