The Football Association are laying on coaches for thousands of fans to get to the first-ever Manchester derby FA Cup final.
FA bosses are providing 120 coaches - 60 each for City and United - to the Wembley showpiece on Saturday, June 3, to overcome rail strikes planned for that day. The FA Cup final was under severe threat because there are no trains running on the 200-mile journey from Manchester to London because of industrial action.
Fans have been left furious as they were struggling to get to the all Manchester final but now the FA and both clubs are laying on extra transport. Tickets on the FA coaches will cost £60 return and £55 for under-15s and will only be available to fans who buy tickets through official channels and more than 5,000 may be able to use the service.
They will be offered the coach service after purchasing match tickets through club websites - and United and City fans will also be kept apart on the journey. The FA has also laid on extra “park and ride” services after a tie-up with Brent Council to help fans who drive to the stadium.
Tom Legg, Head of External Operations at The FA, said: “We look forward to welcoming a capacity crowd to Wembley Stadium for the Emirates FA Cup Final. We have worked closely with both clubs and travel operators to put in place alternative options for supporters coming to Wembley Stadium for the showpiece event of the season.
“We would urge anyone travelling to the game to plan their journey well in advance and to consider the options in place to support them.”
The 90,000 sell-out will see City and United get 30,500 tickets each - costing between £45 and £145 - with both clubs offering subsidised travel. United are laying on 20 coaches, which seat an average of 50 people. The club are charging £50 for adults and £40 for under-16s for a return journey.
A United spokesperson said: “We will continue to monitor the proposed strike action but the club is now satisfied there is enough coach provision to cope with the expected demand.”
City have also organised coaches to take their fans to the final, priced the same as United but they will depart from the Etihad because the stadium is hosting a Coldplay gig.
United fans slammed the strike action - with 16 train companies staging a walkout, including Avanti West Coast who run the direct trains between London and Manchester - as a “huge inconvenience.”
It is a blow to the FA who were proud of the fact the game was back in the traditional 3pm slot to help travel but also to fit in with the Derby horse race which is also being staged the same day.
