Latest news with #WembleyFinal
BBC News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
TikToker to host fan zone at Southend v Oldham Wembley final
A TikToker said he was "absolutely buzzing" to have been invited to host a fanzone during the National League play-off final at Wembley Cassar said he would be interviewing fans and former Southend United players at Boxpark Wembley when the Blues meet Oldham Athletic on Essex club confirmed the partnership with the social media star on its own TikTok account."I'm absolutely buzzing but a bit nervous, though, because on my TikTok I can cut things… here, people will really see the real me," said the 26-year-old, whose videos showcasing his love of Leigh-on-Sea have attracted millions of views. Up to 50,000 fans will travel to Wembley for the match, which will mark the end of a turbulent few years for Blues fans who have backed their team through financial turmoil and the threat of told BBC Essex: "I think it's fair to say I don't think any Southend supporter thought they'd be in this position at the start of the year, even mid-way through the year. "I think we can go to Wembley with nothing to lose."Alexis said he had been "manifesting" tickets for Sunday's clash after failing to secure a matchday capacity was initially limited because of the closure of Wembley Park Tube station for engineering the Shrimpers first got in touch, he "thought it would be filming something at Roots Hall… but for some reason I knew I'd end up at Wembley on Sunday". The content creator said he started posting videos on TikTok about 18 months ago and documented a trip to Thailand earlier this "just fell into place" when he returned to Essex with his videos amassing 1.7 million said he filmed a lot of content in Leigh-on-Sea, which he called LOS, because it was "probably one of the best places in Essex, if not the best place"."A few people started saying LOS to me when I walked past them, and I was like, 'right, I'm the LOS man now, that's me'."Asked about the future, he said he had no plans to leave his career in finance, adding: "There's no end goal. Let's just keep seeing where things go, inspiring people and making people laugh." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Southend United fans criticise 'sorry state' of Wembley tickets
Southend United fans have criticised the "sorry state" of ticket sales for their National League play-off final against Oldham engineering works on the day of the Wembley clash means the ticket allocation for both sides has been capped at 21,500 Monday - as hundreds queued for tickets at the club's Roots Hall ground - one supporter said: "There are going to be disappointed fans out there," A spokesperson for Wembley Stadium said fans' safety was "paramount". Stadium officials have shared safety concerns about the game as no London Underground trains will stop at Wembley Park station on match and Oldham were initially allocated just 17,500 tickets each, although that was raised to 21,500 after wide have included MPs, broadcaster Jeff Stelling and former Southend, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and England striker Stan Collymore. Southend supporters told the BBC the situation had dampened their spirits."There are going to be disappointed fans out there," said Jack Racey, who was among those vying for a ticket."Just because the team has dropped down a couple of leagues, doesn't mean it hasn't got the fan base," Mr Racey said."We weren't anticipating to make the final but we have, so adjustments have got to be made."Steve Burgess added: "It's ridiculous, if this was a Premier League side playing at Wembley they wouldn't have reduced the allocation." 'Negative and dire' Officials from both football clubs have continued to hold meetings with the stadium over whether more tickets could be extra 2,722 tickets went on sale to Blues fans on Monday, with 1,663 of those sold as part of coach a post on X, Collymore said the Mayor of London's office was hopeful capacity could be upped to at least 60, to the BBC, Shrimper Dave Latham said: "The situation has been a little bit negative and a little bit dire."But we're all great supporters of this club." Mr Latham was turned away from the ticket office after an hour and a half of queuing on Sunday."It's a bit of a sorry state but what can you do?," he said."We can only do our best and queue because we're all loyal supporters of this club."A Wembley Stadium spokesman said "the safety and security of fans" was of "paramount importance".The railway work could not be moved, they for London said it would run more Bakerloo line trains to serve Wembley Central, while Chiltern Railways planned extra services to Wembley final is due to kick off at 15:00 BST on Sunday. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
24-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Southend V Oldham final: Tickets limited due to safety concerns
Tickets for the National League play-off final have been limited due to safety concerns as no trains will stop at Wembley Park station, transport bosses 30,000 Southend United fans were expected to want tickets for the game on Sunday, 1 June, but the club was told it could only sell 17,500 for London (TfL) confirmed the Jubilee and Metropolitan Underground lines would also be affected on the day Southend meet Oldham Athletic at Wembley a statement on Southend's website, the club said tickets had "been limited to 17,500 per club, plus packages sold with coach travel included". This was "in order to allay safety concerns relating to the pressure that Wembley Central station will be put under", the Essex club fans are due to travel to London following the Shrimpers' dramatic win against Forest Green Rovers on Park station will be closed due to engineering works, which cannot be delayed or postponed, TfL confirmed, meaning more supporters would be using Wembley Central."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 Shrimpers' said they had sourced 28 coaches which had taken the ticket number up to 18,900. The club said: "Our focus at present is finding solutions to the problems we have been presented with and increasing our ticket allocation." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
24-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Australian Sheffield United fans travel 10,000 miles to Championship play-off final
Three generations of one Sheffield United family have flown 10,000 miles from Australia to watch their team's Championship play-off Donnellan, along with his dad Tom and son Jack, touched down at Heathrow on Thursday, ahead of the Blades' match against Sunderland at Wembley on Saturday. Tom emigrated from South Yorkshire to Perth in 1982 when Tony was aged just eight. But the family always kept in touch with their roots and remained Sheffield United supporters down under. While 76-year-old Tom managed to get to a game at Bramall Lane two years ago, Tony has not been back to the UK for 43 years. Jack, who is 23, is visiting his dad's native country for the first time. Tony, 51, said: "I'm just buzzing. It's unbelievable to be here and we can't wait for the game. "We always said if we made it to a final at Wembley we'd come back for it. My old man thought he'd missed the boat, but when we got to the final I said to him, "get packing"."The first pub we got into in London was full of Sunderland fans so we had to bail out of that one pretty quickly! It was all red-and-white, but the wrong sort of red-and-white!" Tom, who was a welder by trade, took his family to Australia as industry in Sheffield hit hard times in the early 1980s. Tony then followed his dad into welding and even ended up becoming his father's boss. Although following their team's results was hard in the early years after they emigrated, the internet and technological advances made it easier more recently. "When we first went to Australia we obviously couldn't watch any of the games, but now we can get SUTV (Sheffield United's in house TV channel) over there," Tony added."I've started to follow the (Sheffield United-supporting) Blades Ramble podcast in the last couple of years and you feel a bit more engaged with it now, because you're part of a community rather than just watching games by yourself at three o'clock in the morning. "My old man lives in a part of Perth called Little England and he goes drinking with some of the Pommie couples who live around there, so we still feel connected to England." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Sunderland fans pack trains ahead of Championship play-off final
Sunderland AFC fans are travelling to London ahead of crucial match at Wembley, with a place in the Premier League up for grabs. Trains travelling from Sunderland to the capital on Friday were almost entirely sold out, as fans head south to watch Sunderland and Sheffield United meet in the 2025 English Football League (EFL) Championship play-off final on eight years away, fans are eager to see the Black Cats return to football's top tier. More than 40,000 fans are expected to descend on the capital - many without a their two most recent meetings, each side won at home and lost away, but Sheffield United are favourites to win the Wembley clash, according to bookies. PJ Barbers, in Gladstone Street, Roker, opened its doors at 05:30 BST with barber Peter Jones telling BBC Radio Newcastle: "It's been rammed because everyone wants to be fresh for the match."He said his colleague, Jimmy, would be joining in the festive spirit wearing a "tomato ketchup" suit on Saturday, when the two teams are due to meet at Wembley."It's the same one he wore when Sheffield played us on new Year's Day," said Mr Jones. BBC reporter Andy Watson has visited Sunderland's Park Lane bus interchange, another transport hub awash with fans - or Mackems - swarming South. "Sunderland fans are already boarding the coaches down to Wembley."There's a buzz in the air... it seems like something special may happen," he said. Rail operator LNER said train services were expected to be "very busy this weekend".It advised passengers to arrive early at departure stations as queuing systems may be in operation ahead of boarding."Be mindful that not every customer will be travelling for the football and be considerate of everyone around you, and be kind to colleagues at stations and on board trains who are there to help you," an LNER spokeswoman said. Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
