The FA to put on 120 coaches for Man United and Man City fans to help them get to Wembley for the FA Cup final due to train strikes… with both clubs also running extra transport to combat expected disruption
- Industrial action has been called for the same day as the Cup final at Wembley
- No trains will be running from Manchester to London because of the ASLEF strike
- The first ever Manchester derby FA Cup final is taking place at 3pm on June 3
The FA will lay on additional transport for Manchester United and Manchester City fans travelling to the FA Cup final in a bid to combat the chaos caused by train strikes on the day of the Wembley showpiece.
Supporters going to the match on June 3 face severe disruption as there are currently no trains from Manchester to London because of industrial action announced by the ASLEF union, which will shut down large parts of the rail network.
Thousands of fans had been due to make the journey to Wembley for the first ever Manchester derby FA Cup final by train, but Avanti West Coast – the only operator of direct Manchester to London services – is one of 16 companies affected by the strike.
In a rare move, the FA will run its own coaches from Manchester to London to help fans get to the final, costing £60 return for adults and £55 for under-15s.
The FA confirmed in a statement that it had secured 120 coaches – 60 for each club. United and City fans will be kept apart for the 400-mile round trip and will not travel together.
The FA will lay on additional transport for Man United and Man City fans travelling to Wembley for the FA Cup final on June 3
Industrial action called by the ASLEF is expected to cause significant disruption to the final
City and United will be battling it out for the final domestic prize of the season at Wembley
Both clubs – who were given more than 30,500 tickets priced between £45 and £145 – are also putting on subsidised coaches for the final, which kicks off at 3pm after police refused to sanction a 5:30pm start time.
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 a fleet of coaches to take their fans to the final, priced the same as United.
But they will not depart from the Etihad Stadium because the venue is hosting a Coldplay concert on the day of the final.
Travelling by train is one of the quickest ways to get from Manchester to London, with journey times of around two hours.
The ASLEF strike plunged fans’ travel plans into disarray and sparked furious criticism from supporters groups.
Disruption is expected even if the strike is called off at the last minute as train companies will still struggle to provide a sufficient service.
Avanti West Coast services will be affected after train strikes were called for Saturday, June 3
United and City met in the FA Cup semi-finals back in 2011, a game marred by crowd trouble
‘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,’ the Manchester United Supporters Trust said in a statement last month.
‘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.’
