March 25, (THEWILL) – The English Football Association stuck to using the Wembley Stadium for the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Manchester City on Saturday, April 16 with a decision to help fans get to and from the stadium.
As THEWILL previously reported, there will be major transport disruptions between the north of England and London that weekend, with no trains running between Liverpool and Manchester and the capital.
The mayors of both cities wrote to the FA earlier this week, urging that the game be moved to a more convenient location for both clubs’ supporters, citing growing fuel costs as well as the fact that the game is scheduled for a bank holiday weekend.
The FA confirmed on Friday that, while the match between the Premier League’s top two teams will still be contested at Wembley, 100 complimentary charter buses will be provided from Anfield and the Etihad Stadium to the game and back.
Furthermore, English football’s governing body has stated that it will collaborate with National Highways to “ensure that the road networks are running as efficiently as possible.”
According to a statement on the FA’s website: “We recognise the significant challenges that are being faced by some Liverpool and Manchester City supporters, with train services being severely limited due to essential engineering works being carried out over the bank holiday weekend by Network Rail on the West Coast Mainline.
“On Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 April there will be no trains running between London Euston and Scotland on the West Coast Mainline. All services on this route will be affected, including between London and the North West. These planned works will also make services operated by Chiltern Railways extremely busy.
“Therefore, the FA, Network Rail and Chiltern Railways strongly advise that Liverpool and Manchester City supporters affected should avoid travelling from the North West by train wherever possible and seek alternative travel arrangements.”
The statement added that the provision of 100 free buses “will ensure that up to 5000 Liverpool and Manchester City supporters will be able to travel to Wembley Stadium free of charge for their semi-final tie. These bus schedules are subject to availability, must be pre-booked, and the clubs will provide more information in due course.”
The game will begin at 3.30 p.m., while the other semi-final, between Chelsea and Crystal Palace, will begin at 4.30 p.m. on Sunday, April 17 at Wembley Stadium.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
