By Christian Gysin
The Robbie Earle World Cup ticket row risked developing into a full-blown diplomatic incident after two students appeared in court yesterday.
Mirte Nieuwpoort and Barbara Castelein were among a group of 36 women in orange mini- dresses involved in a publicity stunt involving the Dutch Bavaria Beer firm.
Yesterday they were charged for their part in the 'unlawful' marketing ploy.
Dutch girls Mirte Nieuwpoort and Barbara Castelein leave Johannesburg Magistrates Court today after their hearing today
Controversial: Earle (left) commenting on a World Cup game on ITV with Dutch footballer Edgar Davids
But the Dutch embassy has accused the South Africans of being heavyhanded in their reaction to the incident.
Their tickets had been traced back to an allocation given to Earle, who is paid £150,000-a-year by ITV as a pundit.
The incident has raised questions of how Earle, a former Wimbledon player who played for Jamaica at the 1998 World Cup, had been able to get 40 tickets for the game.
Mirte Nieuwpoort and Barbara Castelein appear relaxed after being told they have been given bail
As an official World Cup broadcaster both the BBC and ITV are allowed to buy hundreds of tickets for games. But Earle would have had to sign up to a 'terms and conditions' contract reminding him that he could not pass the tickets onto a third party.
He would have bought the tranche of tickets and may have paid as much as £105 each for them - though it is believed that the TV companies can sell the tickets to their presenters at 'preferential rates'.
Yesterday England fans arriving in South Africa for the game against Algeria tomorrow questioned why Earle was able to get so many match tickets.
One said: 'We've spent a fortune coming over here for five days for the England match on Friday.
'I don't begrudge someone like Robbie a few perks but to get so many tickets seems ridiculous.
'The World Cup is supposed to be about the fans, not an excuse for a big corporate love in.'
It was reported that for the England group games Earle may have had access to as many as 150 tickets.
Last night the BBC said presenters would only be given a 'handful' and would never be able to get 'anywhere near' 40.
An ITV spokesman said: 'Robbie has been with us for eight years and has been a very good pundit,' explained an ITV insider.
Sea of orange: The Dutch 'football fans' pose for photographs clutching flags before the Holland vs. Denmark game. They were thrown out at half-time after it was revealed they were part of a beer marketing campaign
'But he not only signed the reminder but he also told verbally that he could not pass on or sell on the tickets. They were supposed to be for the use of friends and family.
'As soon as we were made aware of what had happened Robbie's contract was terminated.' Earle insisted he had no connection with the stunt, had been 'naive' and not received any money.
Wave for the crowd: The girls may not have been liked by Fifa but they were a big hit with other fans in the stadium
As he flew out from South Africa yesterday his misery was compounded by the news that he had been dropped as an ambassador for the bid to bring the 2018 World Cup to England.
A Dutch embassy spokesman told the Daily Mail the way the women involved in the 'ambush marketing' stunt had been treated was 'a disgrace'.
'It's a sledge hammer to crack a nut. We are not happy and trying to find out how someone has broken South African law by wearing the colour orange,' he said.
The Dutch women had attended their country's opening game against Denmark on Monday wearing-bright orange mini-dresses in an apparent bid to promote Bavaria Beer.
Ambush marketing: The group of women was ejected from the Holland v Denmark match after they were accused of promoting a brand that was not one of the official sponsors.
But there is only one beer sponsor, Budweiser, allowed for the 2010 tournament, leading to the women being ejected at half time.
A police spokesman said the women were 'suspected to be involved in organised acts to conduct unlawful commercial activities'.
Kop that: More eyes were on the girls than the game as they stood up in their orange mini-dresses
Red card: The Dutch 'fan club' are ejected from the match at half-time by a Fifa official
So seriously was their alleged crime being taken that the court was opened and dealt with the pair on a South African national holiday. Miss Nieuwpoort and Miss Castelein were released on £1,000 bail last night and told to appear back in court later this month.
Last night they were thought to be in new accommodation provided by the Bavaria Beer company.
It has also been revealed that FIFA have also started legal proceedings against the Dutch brewer.
'FIFA has filed charges against the organiser of the ambush marketing stunt pulled between the Netherlands-Denmark match at Soccer City two days ago,' confirmed a spokesman.
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