Fans warned over forged tickets

England fans have been told to be on the look-out for forged tickets ahead of the match with Trinidad & Tobago.

Touts were selling impressive-looking imitations for the Paraguay tie and are expected to be operating in the run-up to Thursday's game in Nuremberg.

Differences include an FA hologram instead of the official Fifa version and an absence of perforations.

Kevin Miles of the Football Supporters' Federation told Five Live Sport: "Fans have got to be extra vigilant."

Miles, the FSF's international co-ordinator, advised supporters to contact police immediately if they were offered a forgery.

He said: "The tickets are very impressive at first glance, but once the errors are pointed out some things are very obvious.

"Aside from the hologram and the perforations, the price on the Paraguay tickets was unbelievably cheap at 27 euros - there is no such thing as a 27-euro World Cup game.

"Also, if you hold a genuine ticket up to the light, you can actually see the circuit and the microchip, which the forgeries do not have.

Fans have got to be extra vigilant to make sure they are not getting ripped off Kevin Miles

"In the old days, if you had a passable forgery that was enough to fool you on the street, the chances are it would fool a steward on the turnstiles.

"But with the sophisticated scanning mechanism they have now there is no chance of getting into the stadium."

Miles said it was not just England fans who were being targeted.

"It's difficult to say how many are in circulation, but we do know there are forged tickets for other games as well.

"It seems to be an English firm of touts who are knocking them out and fans have got to be extra vigilant to make sure they are not getting ripped off."