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Manchester United news: Club faces fan backlash after announcing travel plans for FA Cup semi-final at Wembley

Over 30,000 Manchester United fans will attend the FA Cup semi-final, but planned train engineering means thousands face being stranded in London for the night

Jack de Menezes

Tuesday 19 April 2016 13:51 BST

Manchester United fans face being stranded at Wembley after the FA Cup semi-final (Getty)

Manchester United are facing a potential fan backlash after plans to provide transport from their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley were criticised by their own supporters.

The gesture was made by the club after Network Rail announced track closures on the weekend of the FA Cup semi-finals, with both United and Everton fans due to travel south to the capital for the match.

But despite being praised for taking the measure to try and assist fans in bringing them home, some supporter have been unable to seal a place on the coaches being offered because they were fully booked as soon as an email was sent to successful ballot entries.

Speaking to the Independent.ie, one unnamed fan said: “This offer covers [approximately] 2,000 fans out of 31,000. All places had gone by the time I received an email telling me I had been successful in the ticket ballot.

“So their statement that they are offering free travel to fans is disingenuous to say the least. I have contacted the ticket office at United and they are not interested. I was told it doesn't matter as they were free anyway.

“I don't see why United should enjoy the good publicity for this story when to all intents and purposes they have lied.”

Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

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1/10Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Michael Carrick

The Old Trafford career of Manchester United’s second longest-serving player is coming to an end. Last year’s decision to hand him a one-year extension was questionable, this year it would be unjustified. It’s time to call it a day.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

One of the quieter disappointments of Louis van Gaal’s tenure. Rojo has rarely, if ever, put in an above-average performance and cost his team too often. A tournament-inspired signing if ever there was one and likely to go out the door with his manager, who has also disappointed after an eye-catching World Cup.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Memphis Depay

His season has been, to put it in the kindest terms, ‘mercurial’. Brief, perhaps very brief, glimpses at his talent have been outweighed by truly anaemic, gutless performances. His youth should be enough to dissuade the club’s hierarchy from cashing in but Depay will need to show a serious volte-face in his second season to turn his Old Trafford fortunes around.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Juan Mata

In truth, if Jose Mourinho takes over at Old Trafford as expected, there may be little that the Spaniard can do to convince his new manager that he should be kept on. His fate, in that sense, may be sealed. Nevertheless, Mata can hardly claim to have fully established himself at Old Trafford and still has a number of doubters. A few weeks in his preferred no. 10 role could do him a world of good.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Marouane Fellaini

Quite easily the most unpopular man at Old Trafford on any given matchday and this season, that’s saying something. He wants to do well, that’s clear, but he simply does not have the requisite technical quality and tries to make up for it by elbowing people. His time’s up.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Paddy McNair

Alongside Tyler Blackett, McNair provides the stand-out argument against those who uncritically praise Van Gaal’s promotion of youth. Sadly he, nor Blackett, are good enough and should not have been relied upon so much at points during the Dutchman’s first season. In truth, both may have already made their last appearances for United.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson

Surprisingly, the young full-back still has not been tied down to a long-term contract, despite his impressive performances since breaking into the side. Talks are understood to have begun but Borthwick-Jackson’s contract expires in June and his future won’t be certain until the dotted line is signed.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Antonio Valencia

His brilliant 2011/12 campaign established him as a firm favourite among supporters but his surrender of the no. 7 shirt the year after marked him as a player who sometimes struggles with a weight of expectation on his shoulders. Ever since, he’s been a figure on the fringes and only on the odd occasions that he’s fit. Sell up before his contract expires next year.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Adnan Januzaj

Packed off on loan to Borussia Dortmund, sent back early after starting just three times and just two substitute appearances since his return. It’s all a far cry from having three football associations fight over your international allegiance. Where Januzaj goes next is unclear but he acts a forewarning to the likes of Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford – consistency, not just youthful exuberance, is needed to prosper at United.

Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Andreas Pereira

The Belgian-born Brazilian has shown his talent at times but, like Januzaj, seems to be another academy product who’s stalling in the reserves while others prosper. He needs with a loan move to gain competitive minutes, perhaps on the continent, or he risks complete stagnation.

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United announced plans for 57 coaches to travel to and from Wembley that will be free of charge to fans, although with United’s allocation at Wembley exceeding the 30,000 mark, thousands face being stranded in the capital unable to return to Manchester until the following morning.

To make matters worse, the majority of hotels and bed & breakfasts have been booked due to Sunday’s London Marathon, meaning that prices are at a premium and availability is very restricted.

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