Manchester City and Manchester United supporters have been urged to take different travel routes down to Wembley and stop at different service stations on the way ahead of the FA Cup final on Saturday.
Team-specific motorway routes and stop-offs have been revealed in a bid to prevent traffic snarl-ups and trouble between rival fans ahead of the showpiece final. Transport bosses issued the guidance amid congestion fears as the majority of Manchester City and Manchester United supporters will travel to London’s Wembley Stadium by road due to a train strike.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) advised City supporters to take one of these routes to the capital: M62 and M1; M6 and M1; or M6, M6 Toll and M1.
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United fans, meanwhile, are being urged to travel on the M6, M42 and M40, which is a near-identical distance of around 200 miles.
Motorway service stations – which have occasionally been the scene of violence between opposing football supporters – have also been allocated to each club.
City fans are asked to use Lymm, Sandbach, Stafford, Norton Canes, Corley, Rugby, Watford Gap, Northampton, Newport Pagnell, Toddington and London Gateway.
The services allocated to United supporters are Knutsford, Keele, Hilton Park, Warwick, Cherwell Valley, Oxford and Beaconsfield.
There are no plans to enforce the guidance, however. It's been issued as a way to try to ensure a smoother flow of motorway traffic on what is expected to be an exceptionally busy down on the motorway network.
The AA said service stations “are likely to be incredibly busy” on Saturday and advised non-football fans to consider taking a break off the motorway network, such as at a local town or village.
A park-and-walk facility will be available at Fryent Country Park near Wembley for drivers. Thousands of supporters will travel from Manchester by coach. The Football Association has laid on 120 coaches in addition to those provided by each club.
TfGM said people “concerned” about travelling to the match “may want to consider making a weekend of it in London”.
AA public relations manager Tony Rich said: “The best mode of travel for football fans will be the official coaches and the extra coaches put on by the FA.
“For those who plan to drive themselves to Wembley Stadium they are advised to set off early, using alternative routes where possible as most major roads are likely to be busy with coaches carrying supporters to the game.
“In addition to the football traffic, returning half-term journeys could also play a part in weekend jam misery with roads leaving many holiday destinations likely to be especially busy.
“It’s important to be prepared for delays by checking travel updates and making sure your car is fit for the journey and by having plenty of food and drink on board.”
It comes as a new wave of train strikes disrupts services from today - with the action set to affect fans travelling to Wembley.
Aslef members at 13 train companies walked out on Wednesday, meaning several operators such as Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Northern and Thameslink are running no trains.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) has called a strike for Friday, while Aslef members will walk out again on Saturday, causing major disruption to football fans travelling to London for the first Manchester derby FA Cup final.
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