[cl_steele]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18939010

Any spare Olympics tickets should go to troops called in at short notice to help with venue security, the head of the British Olympic Association says.

An extra 3,500 troops were drafted in last week after contractor G4S admitted a shortage of staff, with 1,200 military personnel more on standby.

"If anyone deserves to fill any empty seats it's those forces in their down time," Colin Moynihan said.

London 2012 said it would be allocating extra tickets to the armed forces.

"We have already given 10,000 tickets to the troops through our Ticket Share programme and we are in the process of allocating and distributing extra tickets to troops now they are providing additional support to the Games," a spokesperson said.

Lord Moynihan said the military presence at the Olympic Park had already had a positive effect on the UK team.

"I know the sacrifices many of then have made personally to be here to support the team and the stress they are under in delivering their day jobs.
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"I want to reflect that every single member of the British team is 100% grateful to them for giving up their time at short notice to make sure we have a safe and secure Games," he said.

"If there are any spare tickets it makes eminent sense for the armed forces to have them and would be a great way to say thank you to them."

On Tuesday, Locog announced that it was reducing capacity for Olympics football events in Glasgow and Cardiff - withdrawing 500,000 tickets from sale - but releasing 200,000 additional tickets for other sports.

London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe said some of the remaining tickets could be issued using London 2012's Ticket Share system, which provides free tickets to children, servicemen and women and their families, and sportspeople, funded through hospitality packages.

On 12 July Home Secretary Theresa May said 10,000 Olympic and Paralympic tickets had been donated to the armed services.

She said there would be access for 2,000 military spectators in the Mall for road events and that troops had the opportunity to buy 2,000 Olympic Park tickets.

I say good on them for doing this these soldiers have had their leave cancelled and many are about to be laid off the least that can be done is they get to see the games theyve been drafted in to protect!
Thoughts and views?

[Shabalala]

it will just be ticket to all the rubbish events that no one cares about we don't want to punish the soldiers even more it's not like they will get to see the 100 Meter Final.

[cl_steele]

(Original post by Shabalala)
it will just be ticket to all the rubbish events that no one cares about we don't want to punish the soldiers even more it's not like they will get to see the 100 Meter Final.

mmm true but its the thought that counts i guess and some of these tickets may be ones that were already reserved so do go to the good ones

[Jack93o]

No better way to pay our respects to the armed forces by giving them something that nobody else wants

[moonkatt]

What's the point in giving them tickets? Most of them have had their leave cancelled so they can guard the gates for the bloody thing anyway.