MANCHESTER UNITED have failed in an attempt to persuade the English FA to abandon their controversial policy of giving the FA Cup finalists a limited allocation of tickets.
The winners of today’s game between Arsenal and Chelsea and tomorrow’s other semi-final, between United and Everton, can expect no more than 25,000 tickets each for the final at Wembley on May 30th. Wembley has a 90,000 capacity; the other 40,000 tickets will be taken by Club Wembley members and distributed to what the FA describe as “the football family” – including county associations, grassroots coaches, schools, referees, charities and football-in-the-community schemes.
The policy means tens of thousands of supporters miss out each year, and it emerged last night that United, the 11-time winners, had written to the FA when the new Wembley was being built to ask for a review of the ticketing policy. The letter, written by the club’s secretary, Ken Merrett, put forward United’s view that it would help the competition if there was a better atmosphere at Wembley, with fewer neutral supporters. Dwindling crowds have affected the Cup’s reputation.
Merrett argued it was unfair so many fans could not get tickets even if they had paid to watch their team in earlier rounds. United’s average home gate is three times the proposed allocation for this season’s final, and the suggestion from Old Trafford was that there should be a change in policy so that the “football family” were given complimentary tickets for England matches instead.
Merrett is now retired but United’s stance has not altered, and they would still like to see a change regardless of whether they beat Everton tomorrow. The club’s chief executive, David Gill, is also on the FA board, but the organisation has no plans to change its policy, which means both clubs will get approximately 7,000 more tickets for the semi-final than the winners will get in the final itself. United have been allocated 32,041 tickets while Everton have received 31,825.
United and Tottenham received around 31,000 tickets for the League Cup final. However, Luton Town were given around 40,000 tickets for the Trophy final against Scunthorpe United.
Alex Ferguson, the United manager, has Rafael da Silva and Darren Fletcher available again after injury and both are in contention for tomorrow’s game.
Wayne Rooney bruised his foot in the win against Porto and Michael Carrick hurt his ankle, but both are expected to be involved.
“David Moyes is building a big club, the evidence is there,” said Ferguson. “They have a young squad that will get better – the young players he has got allied to the ones he has brought in are all of a good variety.
“He has done a great job. My problem for Sunday is that we are facing a very hungry team because David has to win a trophy and he is feeling that way.”
