MP talks to ministers over play-off tickets row
A Labour MP has contacted government secretaries of state and ministers over the limited number of tickets being sold for the National League play-off final next month.
Southend United said it expected 30,000 of its fans to want tickets for the game against Oldham Athletic at Wembley on 1 June, but had been told it could only sell 17,500 due to safety concerns.
No trains are due to stop at Wembley Park station on the day of the match because of planned engineering work.
David Burton-Sampson, MP for Southend West and Leigh, said fans should "watch this space".
"We are working behind the scenes to try and get this ridiculous situation resolved," he said.
Southend United said on Friday that the decision was made "in order to allay safety concerns" because of the increased pressure expected on the nearby Wembley Central station, which is due to operate.
But the club said it had communicated its dissatisfaction with Wembley Stadium, the National League, the Mayor of London's office and senior ministers.
While it had been told to limit ticket sales to 17,500, the club said this cap did not include any packages sold with coach travel.
The Shrimpers' said they had sourced 28 coaches, which could take sales up to 18,900. They said they would continue finding more coaches.
"Our focus at present is finding solutions to the problems we have been presented with," a club spokesperson added.
Transport for London (TfL) confirmed the Jubilee and Metropolitan Underground lines would also be affected on the day of the final.
"We have been in communication with both sets of clubs and have asked them to inform their fans of the closures and to advise travelling by coach where possible," a TfL spokesman said.
Last year's final where Bromley beat Solihull Moors had a crowd of 23,374.
Southend said they expected the attendance record would be beaten this year.
That record was set in 2015 when 47,029 saw Bristol Rovers beat Grimsby, when the division was known as the Conference.
'It's about time': Southend United fans on Wembley final
Burton-Sampson has signed a joint letter with Southend-on-Sea City Council Labour leader Daniel Cowan, and fellow Labour MP for Southend East and Rochford, Bayo Alaba.
They wrote to various offices, and asked for the planned works at Wembley Park to be deferred or for the release of more tickets.
"The fans of both clubs deserve to be able to cheer on their teams from the stands," the letter said.
Former Southend, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and England striker Stan Collymore posted on X to say fans were being "unfairly punished".
He claimed the ticket limitation would "probably not be implemented would this be a Premier League or England national team game".
Addressing London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has responsibility for transport in the capital, Collymore said: "I'd be more than happy to set out a thousand reasons why it is important for both clubs to be fully represented at Wembley, and should only be afforded the same privilege as any club, namely to 'fill the damn place'."
The Shrimpers Trust supporters group said in a statement: "Unfortunately, the excitement [of Oldham and Southend fans] has been trampled on by the seemingly-amateurish planning of several key stakeholders."
The Echo newspaper in Essex and the Oldham Times have started a joint petition urging for a larger ticket allocation.
Southend start selling their ticket allocation to season ticket holders from noon on Saturday, with the general sale beginning at 13:00 BST on Sunday.
Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Tube station closure to clash with Wembley final
Maher praises 'energy and heart' of Southend players
Oldham ready to 'finish job at Wembley' - Mellon
Southend United FC
Transport for London
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Omari Hutchinson and England lay down a marker
England won the last edition of the Under-21 European Championship with players who have become Premier League stars. The class of 2023 included Cole Palmer, still at Manchester City before his move to Chelsea, Morgan Gibbs-White and Anthony Gordon, who had impressive first seasons at Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United. Advertisement The make up of this year's squad in Slovakia is slightly different, but the aim similar: to win and display why they are highly rated. They opened the group with relative ease, beating Czech Republic 3-1, but it was not a victory dominated by the goalscorers. Newcastle's Tino Livramento won player of the match from left-back, and was run closely by Ipswich Town's Omari Hutchinson, who could benefit from having a strong tournament. His now-former club team-mate Liam Delap has completed a move from Ipswich to Chelsea. Delap was part of Lee Carsley's preliminary squad for this tournament, but signing for Chelsea saw the Club World Cup take priority. Hutchinson insists this tournament is his 'main focus' rather than thinking about what could be on the cards for next season but performances like this will have been noted by clubs wanting a winger who can play inside. The 21-year-old, who signed for Ipswich from Chelsea last summer for an initial £20million after playing a starring role in their promotion from the Championship while on loan, played as one of two No 10s in a 4-2-2-2 and dovetailed effortlessly with Livramento to create down England's left flank. Early in the game it was Hutchinson finding a central pocket that allowed the full-back to burst forward and cause problems, whereas Livramento, another former Chelsea youngster, did well to find Hutchinson in dangerous areas. This came together later in the first half. Hutchinson received the ball on halfway, turned and drove through the centre of the pitch. He then laid the ball to Livramento whose cross found scorer Harvey Elliott at the back post, via James McAtee. It was a moment that showed the importance this tournament can have in allowing players to be expressive in areas they can be most effective. 'I try not to be too restrictive in the positions that players play,' Carsley said in his post-match press conference. 'It's more about the attributes and areas of the pitch we can get them into. I've seen Omari so many times at Ipswich get in that pocket, turn and drive with the ball. If he can do that more often for us and be even more selfish when he's driving, he'll never get any complaints from me. The more players we've got that can play for England, the better chances we've got. Advertisement 'There's definitely a tendency, and I've done it in the past, to over-coach because of the amount of time you get with the players. If you give someone too much information, they forget it. So it's just two or three points per player on the areas of the pitch we can cause the opposition a problem.' Pushed on whether he feels he can be more selfish, Hutchinson said: 'I guess so. When I look back at the video, I'll see what I can work on. I'm just trying to improve and impact the game more. If he's telling me to dribble more, then I'll try to dribble more.' McAtee and Elliott combining directly for the goal signified a slightly different element of the platform this tournament can give players. Elliott is one of two players, alongside Charlie Cresswell, who was in the 2023 squad and he admitted last week that he doesn't want to be 'wasting years' of his career by not playing regular first team football at Premier League champions Liverpool. Cresswell, fresh from his first season in France with Toulouse completed the scoring after Jonathan Rowe, of Marseille, had made it 2-0. McAtee opted to join this squad as captain rather than play in the Club World Cup for Manchester City. The 22-year-old said that he hopes that the decision could help 'kick-start' his career in a way the 2023 tournament did for Palmer, who had been his team-mate since the under-11s at City. Palmer started that tournament on the bench, but scored one and assisted two in the semi-finals against Isreal. In the final three days later, it was his free-kick that deflected in off Curtis Jones to win England the tournament. He soon backed that up with goals in the Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup before joining Chelsea for an initial £40million and hasn't looked back since. With 13 of the 23 players in the squad aged 22, they are reaching the stage of their careers where the next step could be the most crucial. Advertisement That can be seen across the tournament too, with Germany's 23-year-old Nick Woltemade for example. The 6ft 6in striker was one of the anticipated players to watch after scoring 17 goals for Stuttgart last season. He underlined that by scoring a hat-trick in Germany's 3-0 win over Slovenia in England's group. That age and experience across the squad should bode well for England though. This opening match was played in front of 8,087 spectators that was a made up of at least 95 per cent Czech Republic supporters. Despite this, Carsley liked how his players 'controlled the crowd and expressed themselves.' With Slovenia to come before Germany, that should provide Hutchinson and England with another opportunity to show what they can do.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Season worst: Diamondbacks fall 2 games under .500 with loss to Paul Skenes, Pirates
There are days during the season when Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo will arrive for his postgame session with reporters ready to rattle off all the things his team did well. This was not one of them. 'We're as far from that as we've been,' Lovullo said, 'in quite some time.' Advertisement Facing flamethrowing right-hander Paul Skenes, the Diamondbacks were beaten handily on Wednesday afternoon, May 28, falling 10-1 to the Pittsburgh Pirates, who claimed the rubber match of their three-game series. For the Diamondbacks, it was a lifeless and uninspiring performance against one of the bottom-feeders of the National League. Second baseman Jordan Lawlar, playing a second consecutive game in place of an under-the-weather Ketel Marte, made two errors in the field. Outfielders missed cutoff men with their throws. Corbin Carroll slammed his bat in frustration after a fly out late in the game. The Diamondbacks were shut down by Skenes, who allowed just four hits, walked none and struck out seven in 6 2/3 innings. Advertisement If their loss the night before was the gut punch — they blew a 6-0 lead in a 9-6 defeat on May 27 — this was a sort of finishing shot, a kick-them-while-they're-down day that dropped them to a season-worst two games under .500 at 27-29. 'You ask me for answers,' Lovullo said. 'I don't know what the answers are. We've just got to continue to believe, continue to fight.' He added: 'We've had a bad week of work. That's how I'm going to chalk it up.' The loss was the Diamondbacks' seventh in their past eight games. They are seven games out in the National League West and 4 1/2 games back in the wild-card race. Advertisement Both right-hander Zac Gallen, who gave up six runs (five earned) in five-plus innings and Lovullo wondered if the frustration from the night before carried over. Lovullo said his team 'looked like it saw a ghost' around the seventh inning, not long after the Pirates exploded for a five-run sixth to take control of the game. 'I don't blame them,' Lovullo said. 'I think we're all frustrated. … I think there was a little bit of a hangover from being six outs away from finishing out a game last night that we couldn't finish out. We've got to flush it.' For Gallen, the outing extended a string of poor starts from the club's longtime ace. He has given up 20 runs (19 earned) in 21 1/3 innings over his past four starts. He has issued 11 walks in that span, including three more against the Pirates — all of them to lead off innings, all of which led to runs. 'From a clubhouse standpoint, I think we know we have a lot more talent — we're a better baseball team — than how we're playing right now,' Gallen said. 'It's kind of very uncharacteristic of us the last couple of weeks. Advertisement 'It starts with me, really. I'm not giving us a chance to win when I'm out there. We've got a lot of talent in this clubhouse, a really good culture. We've had our struggles before in years where we kind of finished on a pretty good note. We've got to get into gear. I get that it's still a third of the way into the season so you don't want to overreact, but time's ticking.' The losses to the Pirates are the latest unfathomable defeats the Diamondbacks have suffered this season. Every week, it seems a new game emerges as the one they will most regret come October. But at this pace, it won't be just one game that costs them a chance at the postseason. They lost a game in which they scored 10 runs in the eighth inning. They lost two others in which they scored at least 11 runs, including a game to a Colorado Rockies team that is on pace for 27 wins. They also lost a game in which Eugenio Suarez clobbered four home runs. Their loss in the series finale was perhaps not as egregious as those — they faced Skenes, after all — but it was still ugly. Advertisement 'Nothing against the Pirates, but I think they went a month without scoring five runs in a game,' Lovullo said. 'They did that twice in one inning against us (in the past two games). That's unacceptable. We're better than that. "If you're asking for the top thing that makes me frustrated — teams batting around against our staff and we're getting bullied around the baseball field. And I don't like it at all.' Lovullo was thankful the club has an off day on the calendar before opening a three-game series against the Washington Nationals on May 30. 'We've got to flush it,' Lovullo said. 'We've got to get through it.' Coming up Thursday, May 29: Off. Advertisement Friday, May 30: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (5-2, 3.52) vs. Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (4-1, 3.42). Saturday, May 31: At Chase Field, 7:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (7-3, 3.90) vs. Nationals RHP Michael Soroka (1-3, 5.61). Sunday, June 1: At Chase Field, 1:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (2-1, 3.79) vs. Nationals LHP Mitchell Parker (4-3, 4.39). This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks at season worst after loss to Paul Skenes, Pirates
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Friday's briefing: Thomas Frank appointed new Tottenham manager
Tottenham appointed Thomas Frank their new manager after agreeing compensation with Brentford. England Under-21s began the defence of their European Championship crown with an impressive 3-1 win over the Czech Republic in Slovakia. Advertisement Matheus Cunha completed his switch from Wolves to Manchester United, Napoli confirmed Kevin De Bruyne was set to join them from Manchester City and Real Madrid's summer signing Trent Alexander-Arnold showed off his language skills. Spurs get Frank Tottenham confirmed Thomas Frank as the club's new head coach on a three-year deal. Spurs and chairman Daniel Levy moved swiftly for former Brentford boss Frank after they dismissed Ange Postecoglou only 16 days on from Europa League glory. Following negotiations with Brentford during the past week over Frank's reported £10million release clause and the backroom staff to be joining him, the 51-year-old Dane was finally confirmed on Thursday night. 'In Thomas we are appointing one of the most progressive and innovative head coaches within the game,' a club statement from Tottenham read. Advertisement 'He has a proven track record in player and squad development. 'We look forward to him leading the team as we prepare for the season ahead.' Young Lions roar England Under-21s laid down a marker with a positive display as they beat the Czech Republic 3-1 in their opening European Championship Group B fixture in Dunajska Streda. Goals either side of the break from Harvey Elliott and Jonathan Rowe had put Lee Carsley's side in control at the MOL Arena. Daniel Fila reduced the deficit in the 50th minute, before England defender Charlie Cresswell headed in a third from a corner with 15 minutes left. Matheus Cunha heads to Old Trafford Manchester United confirmed the signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolves on a five-year deal, with the option of a further 12-month extension. Advertisement United effectively completed the deal on June 1 after activating a £62.5million release clause in the 26-year old's contract. Cunha scored 31 goals in 76 appearances for Wolves, having joined from Atletico Madrid in 2023. 'Ever since I was a child in Brazil watching Premier League games on TV at my grandmother's house, United was my favourite English team and I dreamed of wearing the red shirt,' Cunha said. 'All my focus is now on working hard to become a valuable part of the team, and helping get this club back to the top.' Kevin De Bruyne set for Naples switch Napoli confirmed that Kevin De Bruyne is to join them from Manchester City. Advertisement The Belgium playmaker is out of contract at City this summer. De Bruyne, 33, will move to the Serie A champions after 10 years at City in which he won the Premier League six times and the Champions League. A tweet from Napoli, which showed De Bruyne sitting on a throne, read: 'King Kev is here', with a further post saying: 'Welcome to SS Napoli Kevin De Bruyne.' Napoli club president Aurelio De Laurentiis also released a photograph of himself shaking hands with the midfielder. No contract details have yet been given. Trent settles in Trent Alexander-Arnold said joining Real Madrid was a 'dream come true' as he delivered his opening address to club dignitaries and invited guests in Spanish. Advertisement The 26-year-old England international – who has signed a six-year deal after his contract with Liverpool expired – was watched by his family as he spoke confidently at his official presentation ahead of a press conference. 'This doesn't happen every day, it's a dream come true and I'm very happy and proud to be here,' Alexander-Arnold said after his 20-year association with Liverpool officially came to an end. 'I am going to give my all for the team and Real Madrid fans. 'I want to win many titles and I want to be a winner here and enjoy playing alongside the many great players.' What's on today? Manchester City and Chelsea continue their preparations for the Club World Cup, which starts in the United States on Saturday. City will open their campaign against Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca in Philadelphia, while Chelsea face Los Angeles FC in Atlanta, with both group-stage fixtures taking place next week.
