City and United in FA cup ticket row
Manchester United have asked the Football Association to intervene after becoming embroiled in a ticket row with Manchester City that demonstrates the growing scale of rivalry between the two clubs competing at the top of English football.
United want the FA to take up their case after learning that City are prepared to make only 5,400-5,800 seats available to supporters of Sir Alex Ferguson's team for the FA Cup third-round tie at the Etihad Stadium on 8 January.
This falls short of the 15% allocation to which visiting clubs are entitled under FA rules, and has left United complaining that their fans are being treated unfairly. The Old Trafford club had requested 7,170 tickets and they have now asked the FA to write to City to remind them of their responsibilities.
The Premier League's first and second-placed clubs have had since 4 December, when the draw was made, to reach an agreement but have been unable to find a compromise, with neither side apparently willing to change their stance. United's deadline for ticket applications passed last Friday but they have been unable to inform their supporters of what happens next, and there is a suspicion at Old Trafford that it may be a tit-for-tat act on City's part. Roberto Mancini's City deny this, and say it is purely a logistical and security issue.
United are not bound to give visiting clubs the usual 15% allocation because they are given special dispensation from the FA on the basis that Old Trafford is the largest ground in the country. Instead, they routinely give away fans 8,500 tickets for cup ties, and have informed City during discussions about the possibility of a replay that they would not make an exception for their local neighbours, offering roughly 11.2% of their 76,000 capacity. City's offer is almost identical percentage-wise and United have been left to wonder whether this is deliberate.
City say that is not the case and that, owing to the design of their stadium, they have never been able to offer anything higher than 6,100 seats for away fans since leaving Maine Road eight years ago.
They will tell the FA that they have looked at every measure to offer United as close to the stipulated 15% allocation as possible, but they are also bound by strict segregation and security issues for a match that will see one of the largest police operations at a football game in Manchester since the England national team were based at Old Trafford during the rebuilding of Wembley.
The tie has been designated in the highest-risk category because of the history of trouble between rival supporters, in particular the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final at City's ground in January 2010, which ended 2-1 to the home side.
On that occasion, United accepted City's allocation of 5,300 tickets, so there is an element of surprise at the Etihad Stadium that the two clubs have not been able to agree the allocation this time.
This is from the Guardian. Not Seen this story anywhere. I didn't realise about the statment in bold and have no idea how the FA have allowed that to be the case very blatent favouritism if you ask me.
