Sheffield United fans promised “one hell of a party” after welcome Wembley decision confirmed v Sunderland
Sheffield United fans promised “one hell of a party” after welcome Wembley decision confirmed v Sunderland
News that Sheffield United had been allocated the east side of Wembley for the Blades’ play-off final clash with Sunderland later this month disappointed those Unitedites who enjoy the pre-match hospitality of the Green Man public house. But there is some better news in terms of another popular watering hole at the national stadium.
United have been allocated more than 35,500 initial tickets for Wembley, with sales beginning earlier this week despite uncertainty over when the game will actually kick off on May 24. That has caused knock-on issues in terms of planning for hotels, train times and coach departures, with some Blades fans simply deciding that the juice is not worth the squeeze and electing not to bother.
Information from the Football Ground Guide website, produced for this month’s FA Cup final between Manchester City and Crystal Palace, suggested more bad news for Blades fans, with “the biggest issue with the east stand of Wembley ... that there are simply far fewer options available, which can also cause longer queues and waiting times for your drinks.”
But that headache may have just been alleviated with news that United have been allocated use of the BoxPark venue on Olympic Way, which ordinarily is allocated to the side occupying the west side of the national stadium. The campaign was not harmed by the fact that the newly-appointed chief executive of BoxPark is a Unitedite, Matt Snell, who revealed recently that the establishment was in discussions with the relevant authorities to allow Blades fans exclusive use.
There was some precedent, with teams playing on the east side allowed to take over, and it was confirmed earlier today that the application had been successful, with Snell insisting: “I promise you it’s going to be one hell of a party. The club have been in touch, and it’s going to be a full takeover.”
Blades fans will be able to book tables at the venue, which will open at 9am on the morning of the final. Unitedites packed out BoxPark on their last visit to Wembley, for the 2023 FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City, with former players including Kevin Gage and Tony Agana on stage ahead of the game and many Blades reporting positive experiences of the venue.
The exact science that goes into which side of Wembley each time is allocated is not disclosed, unlike the process of determining, for example, which side will be able to wear their home kit in the event of a clash of colours. In this instance, with United and Sunderland both playing in red and white stripes, it’s the Blades who will don their home strip at Wembley after finishing higher in the table.
But the allocation of ends is rather more complicated and, we understand, decided rather arbitratily after discussion between the EFL, the Metropolitan Police and Wembley’s own parent company, Wembley National Stadium Limited. They are also pre-determined ahead of the semi-final, meaning the allocation would have been the same for either of the beaten finalists Bristol City and Coventry City.