SFA blames Macedonia for mix-up

Peat says there will be no ticket problems in Reykjavik

Scottish Football Association president George Peat has blamed the Macedonian FA for ticket problems at Scotland's opening World Cup qualifier.

Around 1,000 fans were denied entry to Saturday's match in Skopje after police said their tickets were not valid.

However, Peat has said fans should not expect the same issues when they head to Reykjavik for Wednesday's must-win match against Iceland.

"To be perfectly honest, it was a shambles," said Peat.

Many Scotland fans who travelled to the Balkans had legitimate tickets for the game, and Peat said the SFA negotiated with their Macedonian counterparts to let the fans in to the City Stadium in Skopje.

"The Macedonians were selling tickets to our fans on the afternoon of the match and then didn't allow them in," he said.

The Macedonians were selling tickets to our fans on the afternoon of the match and then didn't allow them in SFA president George Peat

"They said it was because these were Macedonian end tickets and as a result they didn't want any problems, so the police chief was adamant they wouldn't let them in.

"Gordon Smith spent hours in the morning and Derek Kirkwood spent hours as well and right up to kick-off we were saying there are big empty areas in the stand and they still wouldn't allow them in.

"They had told us and we tried to make it public that if you didn't have a ticket for the Scotland end, don't try to get in as they wouldn't let you in.

"There should not be the same problem in Iceland. The fact was we only had a 1,000 tickets but there must have been 3,000 Scots there.

"To my knowledge it was a Macedonian FA that were selling these tickets."

George Burley's side travel to Reykjavik on Tuesday knowing that defeat to Iceland could dent their hopes of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Peat also played down the 1-0 defeat in Skopje and said a victory against Iceland would allow Scotland to concentrate on their remaining Group Nine matches.

"I said before the game if we lose to Macedonia it's not the end of the world, as these countries will take points off each other as the tournament progresses.

"If we win in Iceland that will turn everything at around and then we have Norway at home.

"As you noticed Iceland drew in Norway and no-one would have given them much of a chance there, so you can never tell."