The National League play-off final on 1 June between Oldham Athletic and Southend United had a limited capacity due to Wembley Park being closed by TfL.
The Underground station, which is the main route to Wembley Stadium for many, was shut due to a signalling upgrade for the Metropolitan Line.
This left Wembley Central and Wembley Stadium station to carry the burden of the match-day crowds, resulting in the FA initially limiting both sides to just 17,500 tickets each.
Following uproar from fans and local MPs, including Angela Rayner, the ticket allocation was increased to 21,500 for both, but was still far below Wembley Stadium’s 90,000 capacity, leaving many supporters frustrated.
Mike, who supports Southend, said: “I think it’s probably not coincidence that it has occurred on the weekend it’s the National League play-off final and not one of the other play-off finals.
“I think perhaps that’s what people think of the fifth tier of English football.”
Claire Mann, TfL’s Chief Operating Officer, said in a statement: “We apologise to customers who will want to travel to Wembley Park for the disruption that this closure will cause to their journeys.
“We have worked closely with Wembley Stadium, Brent council, the Metropolitan Police and the Safety Advisory Group to understand the expected attendance and ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place for fans trying to reach the Vanarama National League Promotion Final.”
The FA shared a similar sentiment, citing fan safety as the rationale behind their decision-making.
In a statement via the Oldham Athletic Supporters Foundation, the FA said: “We acknowledge the frustration a limited capacity event means for supporters at Wembley Stadium.
“However, the safety and security of fans is of paramount importance, and each event is assessed individually to ensure supporters can safely arrive and depart from the venue based on travel options.”
It’s that time of the year when Wembley Stadium has an event more often than not, so it is telling that the weekend of the National League play-off final was sacrificed in the venue’s jam-packed calendar.
Oldham fan, Nicky, said: “It does feel a bit like you are overlooked and even the fact that our playoff final is today, if it was last weekend, we’d have the bank holiday Monday or yesterday [Saturday].
“I’ve got to travel back after the game, it’s going to be a late night, god knows how much sleep I’m going to get, and I’m back into work tomorrow.”
Watch the full report below.
Featured image credit: Tom Horn
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