Fans have reacted with dismay after it was announced train drivers are to strike on the day Manchester City and Manchester United face each other in the FA Cup final.
And there are fears there could now be a shortage of coaches for fans and chaos on the motorways and at service stations with even more fans having to travel to the capital by road.
The Blues take on the Reds at Wembley on Saturday, June 3 in the first-ever all Manchester cup final, with kick-off at 3pm. Last year each club in the final was allocated 30,500 tickets and thousands of the fans from Manchester were expected to travel to the capital by rail.
READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community
Yet the train driver's union Aslef this morning (Thursday) announced they had rejected the 'risible' latest offer from the 16 train companies they are in dispute with and announced three new days of planned industrial, including on cup final day.
And the union confirmed Avanti West Coast, which runs trains to London Euston from Manchester Piccadilly, was one of the 16 operators due to be affected.
The full extent of the disruption is not yet known. Avanti told concerned customers on social media this afternoon: "We are looking at how this will impact services and we’ll have more information for you soon."
An FA insider said they were of the situation and were looking at options to support fans. The M.E.N understands Manchester City bosses are also assessing the situation and will be liaising with the FA and fan groups.
Kevin Parker, General Secretary of the Manchester City Official Supporters Club said: "This is just the last thing that we need. If you work on the railways and you're going to go on strike you want it to have an impact and the impact of striking on the day of the FA Cup final is going to be absolutely massive.
"It will affect, sadly, City and United fans who have already booked trains. But also those who haven't but who were planning to travel that way.
"They will now be chasing around trying to find coaches down. And I think there could end up being a shortage of coaches. I remember for the City v United FA Cup semi-final in 2011 there was a shortage of coaches and there wasn't even a train strike.
"City had to go afar afield as Birmingham, Yorkshire, etc to get the number of coaches they needed to meet demand. The coach companies will be rubbing their hands. and no doubt prices will be increased.
"I've spoken to a number of supporters clubs branches and I know some of them were struggling to get coaches.
"It's just an additional stress on what is already a bit of a pretty stressful day." "We will be speaking to the club to see if they offer additional coaches but other than that I'm not sure what else we can do at the moment" he added.
The kick-off time has already been moved from 5:30pm, at which it has been played for over a decade, to 3pm, reportedly at the request of security chiefs in London with the match considered 'high-risk.'
And insiders say the change would have made the train even more appealing, by reducing the scramble for late trains.
The Manchester United Supporter's Trust (M.U.S.T) said: "A train strike on Cup Final day will be a huge inconvenience to the tens of thousands of supporters travelling down from Manchester to London on the day.
"We need all modes of transport available to cope with the level of demand and the railways are a key part of that. We call on the Government and the trade union to get round the table and find a way to avert this industrial action."
A spokesperson for the Football Supporters Assocation (FSA) said: ""It will be a challenge for supporters but over the course of the season the decisions of broadcasters, police and leagues to reschedule games at short notice, or to unsociable hours, causes far more disruption to travelling supporters than any strike action."
The announcement sparked debate on social media. Many people said the move risked train drivers losing the support of local football fans.
Sue Taylor said on the M.E.N Facebook page: "If this is going to give them more support, then they will be very disappointed, because it's a selfish move, besides we are Northern resourceful and can cope with any situation, the fans will get themselves there somehow."
Trevor Shepherd said: "Well that’s going to gain them lots of support in Manchester." Lisa Hamilton said: "I'm not even a football fan but there's making a point but making the normal fellow person suffer when they have probably saved for an event like this or for their kids and will have to pay more now it's not on.
"Make you're (sic) point but don't make normal everyday hardworking folk that could do with a pay rise also suffer purely selfish!"
However, Jim Warrington said: "Just goes to show how important they are to keep things moving. Maybe the government should negotiate with them."
There have also been calls for the match at the national stadium to be moved, or the date changed.
Lesley Gately said: "Another reason why the match shouldn’t be played at Wembley!!" Lysha Holmes said: "So instead of having it at Wembley have it at a northern neutral ground. Simple."
Whilst Peter Cokayne said: "Could this not just be played at St. James Park or somewhere similar? Actually, give the fans 50% of the tickets instead of spunking most of em to corporate t****** who don’t turn up. Wembley is a disaster when things like this happen."
However, such a move is thought to be unlikely. There were no direct trains to London from Manchester or Merseyside when City took on Liverpool in last year's semi-finals.
The FA offered a limited number of free coaches and City laid on additional subsidised coach travel however calls to move the game to neutral ground in the north were rejected.
Strike action has also been announced for Friday, May, 12, and Wednesday, May 31. Aslef has described the latest offer of a four percent rise from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) as 'risible.'
The uinion's General Secretary Mick Whelan said: "‘We do not want to go on strike – we do not want to inconvenience passengers, we have families and friends who use the railway, too, and we believe in investing in rail for the future of this country – but the blame for this action lies, fairly and squarely, at the feet of the employers who have forced our hand over this by their intransigence.
"It is now up to them to come up with a more sensible, and realistic, offer and we ask the government not to hinder this process."
Read more of today's top stories here
READ NEXT:
- "If you're going to kill me, just do it quickly... I've had enough": The coward who 'absolutely wrecked' a woman's life
- Dad who left the Army and became a HGV driver found dead in back of lorry
- Iconic Manchester hotel featured in Peaky Blinders and loved by celebs set for huge expansion
- Will you be voting in the May local elections?
- 'It was chaotic': Police swarm scene as teenage boys rushed to hospital after being hit by tram
