It happens every year. Local FA's("The football family") get an allocation of tickets that they can buy. These are located at various price points in a clubs half of the stadium. They offer them to all local FA's and give them a choice of which end.
Any unsold get given back to the clubs to sell which is what this extra allocation is.
Not fully true. As in past finals city always sold all blocks on the trophy lift side (in this case that would be 103 and 104), but last year, as with this year, nothing in those blocks other than front 3 rows went onsale to people on day one, or day two of selling. They were all greyed out. I was day one sales, i always used to get those seats, instead i got forced into 105 in the corner. Yet today, suddenly this afternoon, 103 and 104 go on sale along the length of the pitch.
Yes the FA have some, but not entire blocks by the trophy, taking the whole way to the corner flag.
They will have had some in those blocks, the rest either get held back by city for reasons only known to them or are what are offered to family and staff and agencies and then get put on sale when those people have had their pick (but i find it totally unfair to those on cup schemes and high points who get in on day one, only for people who are cityzens members to technically get the "best" seats (and yes, best is all a matter of opinion, but on level one those blocks *are* the best).
I had hoped city learnt from last years final and for once had everything they had available on day one, but 102, 103, 104 were not there, only 105 was there. And yes the padded seats either side of the dugouts i don't count, i'm not on about them.
Anyway, speech over. It just bugs me. I know the same mess happened with the cheaper seats up top. I just wish they had it all onsale on day one. To hold back entire blocks on the lower tier the length of the pitch - didn't happen in 2011, 2013, 2019, or even 2023. Just happened last year and this year when they suddenly "found them" after cup scheme and season ticket holders had bought theirs. They're not "all fa returns". They're staff, family, agencies, and the like - and without sounding whiny it's not fair that those blocks are greyed out for the first 2 and a half days of sale then pooooof there they are.
Strop over, off to bed, early night don't feel well!
