World Cup check-in warnings

Getting into a stadium to watch any match during next year's World Cup "will be like boarding an airline", according to a senior official.

That's the word from senior legal counsel with the tournament's organising committee, Derek Jones,who warned that security was of absolute importance to the International Cricket Council. According to Jones, patrons must understand that security was paramount at global events such as the World Cup, and they must ensure they "provide themselves with ample time" to get ready for the matches. "You must start thinking of getting into the ground as if you were getting into an airplane," Jones told The Nation in an interview over the weekend.

"We must see security as a major area and like the airline industry, safety and security is paramount. Patrons will be allowed to carry certain personal items, but they must be able to fit under your seat."

Over 800,000 tickets are being made available for the tournament, which runs from March 11 to April 28, and patrons will have two major checkpoints. The first will be on entering the venue, and the second on entering the stand.

The Jamaican lawyer, with over 30 years in the field, said mechanisms were in place to make sure that all areas of security were established and working.

Chris Dehring, chief executive of the tournament, has been attending meetings at the football World Cup in Germany, to get a clearer idea of how to implement and manage the massive security effort. He attended pre-match and post-match meetings in Berlin.