Saturday, April 29 – 1950
While rain drove the thousands of cup final fans into shops, cafes, museums and buses for shelter to-day, the ticket touts and black marketeers were out in force.
Coffee stalls and cafes were besieged. Large numbers of Liverpool supporters were among the earliest visitors to the National Gallery, the museums, and exhibitions, Buckingham Palace, and St. Paul’s.
Heavier rain, which began falling about 9.30 drove large numbers into the big stores. Many went for bus riders “just to keep dry” while others just huddled in shop doorways watching the traffic go by.
The F.A. appeal to anyone paying an inflated price for a ticket outside the Stadium to supply full details was not expected to meet with much response.
Tickets For Re-sale
There was early evidence that some people were eager to pay fantastic prices for tickets to get into the match at all costs.
At all railway and bus stations, car and coach parking grounds, and along all approaches to the Stadium ticket touts worked feverishly trying to lay their hands on tickets which could be re-sold in a few moments at incredibly increased cost.
They offered 40/- for 3/- tickets and £5 for 7/6 and 10/6 tickets, £8 for one guinea tickets, and £10 and more for two guinea tickets.
Clearly they had clients willing to pay much more than these amounts waiting.
Many football supporters reported that almost before they had alighted from their trains and coaches they were accosted by touts.
Ready cash was not the only bait held out.
In a Euston Café one black marketeer produced a box of gauge 54 American nylons.
At a Baker-street coffee stall another temptingly opened a suitcase full of bottles of Scotch whisky, and boxes of cigarettes were held out to a group of Merseysiders leaving the National Gallery.
Bristish Railways were running a total of 50 “specials” carrying over 30,000 passengers.
The B.B.C. estimated that 10,000,000 people would watch the final through television sets.
(Gloucester Citizen, 29-04-1950)
"Play Up, Liverpool" 