Man Utd and Man City fans handed separate SERVICE STATIONS in unprecedented FA Cup final police operation
MANCHESTER UNITED and Manchester City fans will reportedly be allocated separate service stations as the FA look to prevent clashes before the FA Cup final.
The first all-Manchester cup final takes place on June 3.
AFPFans will be desginate separate fanzones around Wembley[/caption]
And train strikes that weekend mean the vast majority of fans will be travelling by road to London.
Some 160 coaches ferrying both sets of supporters will make the journey south and drivers will be told to stop at club allocated service stations to prevent fans mixing, according to the Daily Mail.
Other groups of fans driving in their own vehicles will also receive match packs detailing the services they can stop at as well as directions to fanzones near the stadium.
It is hoped such measures will decrease the likelihood of trouble, with the kick-off time also brought forward to 3pm for the same reason.
Both United and City are expected to bring 36,000 fans to London, with official club coaches also setting off from different parts of Manchester.
The two clubs and authorities are keen to avoid a repeat of what happened when the two sides met at Wembley for the FA Cup semi-final in 2011.
On that occasion fans were not designated different service stations, resulting in clashes on the journey to Wembley and violent scenes around the stadium that led to 34 arrests.
The Met are still finalising plans for the big day and are liasing with the relevant authorities to ensure fan safety.
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A statement read: “Discussions are taking place between the Met, the FA, the local authority, British Transport Police and other partners to ensure the safety and security of those attending the final at Wembley on Saturday, 3 June.”
Success in the FA Cup for City would set-up the chance to win the treble – a feat only managed by United in 1999, which means there is even more riding on what is already a huge final.
