FIFA ticketing sub-committee chief David Will said both South Korea and Japan missed deadlines last October to provide information about seating arrangements.

The delay meant that vital information wasnt sent until March, resulting in Byrom, owner of the FIFA World Cup Ticketing Bureau 2002, having to produce "six months work in six weeks".

As part of new security measures and to prevent black market sales, each ticket was individually personalised, requiring information to be sent earlier.

"The truth is that it was Byrom that rescued the ticketing process from a crisis situation," said Will.

World Cup Ticketing Bur-eau director of marketing Ged Holmes said: "Our role is to provide the service, and we were pleased FIFA chose to issue the statement."

The UK-based printer of the tickets believed to be BemroseBooth cannot be named due to a clause in Byroms World Cup contract.

Story by Andy Scott