Man United LOSE protracted battle with Arsenal over FA Cup allocation – as FA deny their request for final 1,000 tickets to go to neutral fans
- The FA has rejected United’s request to hand over 1,000 tickets to neutral fans
- Their request came after Arsenal failed to offer them the full allocation of 9,000
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Manchester United have failed to give 1,000 seats to the neutral side for this weekend’s FA Cup tie with Arsenal.
Officials at Old Trafford were left frustrated when, despite several pleas, they were only awarded 8,000 – instead of the 9,000 they were entitled to under competition rules.
Safety concerns were put forward as the reason for the reduction, with the seats in question being on an upper level of the 60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium.
United had offered to hand-pick the recipients and ensure they went to families and children associated with the club’s charity arm. Their reasoning fell on deaf ears and as a last resort they filed a complaint with the FA.
With just a few days to go until Sunday’s 3pm kick-off, they suggested handing over the tickets in question to aid workers and those involved in FA grassroots projects.
However, Mail Sport understands that they have now been told there is insufficient time to make such arrangements.
Manchester United’s plea for 1,000 tickets to be neutral in the Emirates has been rejected
They were furious and complained to the FA after Arsenal failed to give them the full allocation of 9,000 away games
The area of the stadium is likely to remain empty after their request to give tickets to emergency services was rejected
As a result, the affected part of the stadium is now likely empty.
Either way, United will claim their share of the section’s receipts as if the seats had been sold, with ticket sales split between the clubs in the FA Cup.
Arsenal believe United have been awarded a 13 percent allocation, with competition rules stating that ‘up to 15 percent’ must be offered.
The decision was made by the Safety Advisory Group, which involves club officers, council officers and members of the emergency services.
Last season, Liverpool received a similarly lower allocation due to concerns over their continued top-flight position.
