IMUSA have hit out at the FA's pricing structure and allocation policy for the upcoming FA Cup Final. Chairman Mark Longden said, "The FA has made a big thing of the fact that both clubs will get 1,500 tickets, or six per cent, more, than they would have got if the final had been held in Cardiff again. What they don't mention is that Wembley is 15 per cent bigger than the Millennium Stadium, so we are actually nine per cent down.
"It is a 90,000-seater stadium and to have 40,000 people in the ground who are potentially unaligned is ridiculous. It is the first FA Cup final at the new Wembley, so wouldn't you think they would want genuine supporters in there to make it a proper spectacle instead of a prawn butty fest?
"The FA chief executive Brian Barwick said that the final would be family-friendly, so I don't know what he is on. Just for me and the missus, and if we are lucky enough to get £60 tickets, it will be "120, and that's before travel, food and everything else. I take home £250 so it's half of my weekly wage."
United have not officially complained about the allocation, a spokesman told the Manchester Evening News that, "It is the number we expected. I don't think any United fans are surprised that the allocation is around the 25,000 mark as that is traditionally what we have been getting, even back to the 1980s. We have planned on the basis of getting 25,000 tickets. We can always sell more tickets as we have 65,000 people with seasonal facilities, which is 57,000 season ticket holders and around 8,000 executives. On top of that we have 25,000 season ticket holders who have applied for at least one away game and have been to all 29 games at Old Trafford this season.
"We have some difficult decisions to make because the number of people with the qualifying criteria is much higher than it has ever been. But we do expect that people who are in our loyalty pot will get a ticket if they apply for one."
Chelsea have publicly complained about the size of the allocation, less than a week after selling only 22,000 tickets for the semi-final at Old Trafford. But the poor lambs did have to travel all the way to Manchester.
"At a meeting yesterday Chelsea FC was advised by the Football Association of the allocation to the clubs for the FA Cup Final at Wembley," a club statement said. "We were very disappointed to receive this news as many of our regular fans will now miss out on a great day for both clubs."