THEY have been bitter rivals all season, but now fans of United and Chelsea are being urged to team up before the FA Cup Final.
The two giants will clash at the new Wembley stadium next Saturday.
A campaign group is distributing 20,000 flyers before both clubs' Premiership matches tomorrow asking supporters to join forces in a Wembley `boycott'. It is aimed at raising awareness of `the level of disgust' felt by Red and Blue supporters over the way the showpiece final has been organised.
The group claims the 25,000 tickets allocated to each club, from a capacity of 90,000, is `pathetic'. And it has hit out at pricing arrangements.
It has also slammed the price of merchandising at the new arena, with match-day programmes costing £10 and burgers coming at a not-so-tasty £5.
As part of a joint initiative between fans of both clubs, leaflets will be handed out before each side's last league game.
They will urge those making the trip to Wembley to boycott official merchandise and refreshments at the stadium.
A group spokesman has accused the governing Football Association of trying to make the ordinary fan pay for the `farce' over the budgeting, planning and completion of the new stadium. It was eventually finished many months behind schedule and massively over budget.
"It is clear that those responsible for recouping the huge overspend in the Wembley budget are hoping to claw back as much as they can from those attending football matches at the stadium," the spokesman said.
"At least 21,000 supporters from each club will have been forced to pay a minimum of £60 for their tickets - don't let those running the FA and Wembley take another penny from you."
Mark Longden, chairman of the Independent Manchester United Supporters Association (IMUSA), gave the campaign his full backing.
He said: "The arrangements for the final are absolutely ridiculous. I've been on the internet and there are hundreds of sites making a fortune by selling tickets that should have gone to United or Chelsea fans at way over the face value."
Mark, who cannot get a ticket himself, said IMUSA's website would be pressing for action.
"After the final we will ask all who paid over face value for tickets to give us details of where they got them from," he said.
"We will then pass those to the FA and demand the sellers never receive tickets for future finals and tickets saved as a result be given to the ordinary fan."
He said the prices of stadium refreshments were `ludicrous'.
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redarmy, rochdale (14/05/2007 at 12:24)
What will happen to the millenium stadium now will it just become another millenium dome white elephant.
It should remain or should i say have remained the national football stadium for all big england games and cup finals.
Why should every thing be in london??????? Its over croweded very dear and these ordinary people wanting to watch their teams the ordinary working man cant afford to travell to london and pay a nasst rip off price and take his son or daughter with him.
I say boycott the game watch it on sky sports in your local and theis really needs to be done and then the fa will look and say well we didnt expect that to happen.
The trouble with people in this country is they dont have the balls to any more.
How can 25 thousand tickets be enough for man u and chelsea supporters tell me i will listen.
Where are the other tickets going?????
1 stand at old trafford holds more than that.
Its my brother in laws 50 and we wanted to get him a ticket for this game i dont know if my sister has got him a ticket but at this price hell come to the pub with me.
�60 pounds for a ticket then merchantdice and then over priced rubbish food and a silly book telling you the teams and other nonsence in it.
I went to see goerge micheal at earls courtin london on the 29th noember last year and my ticket for that was �60,a hotel for two �70 and he sang like a superstar for over 3 hours and these so called superstars on 100,000 a week for kicking a ball want you to support them at these prices.
boycott it.
ruin the fa.
holsten, canada (14/05/2007 at 15:17)
REDARMY (16/05/2007 at 11:47)