March 09, 2004
SEMI FINAL TICKET INFORMATION
FA CUP SEMI-FINAL
Sunderland AFC v Millwall or Tranmere Rovers
Sunday 4th April 2004, Kick Off 1pm
Old Trafford, Manchester
Sunderland AFC is pleased to reward the loyalty of its valued season
ticket holders with a guaranteed ticket for the FA Cup semi final, which
will be played against either Tranmere or Millwall on Sunday 4th April
at Old Trafford - kick off 1pm.
Applications from season ticket holders will be accepted until 5.30pm on
Wednesday 17th March. Any applications received after this date will not
be guaranteed.
Application Procedure:
Season Ticket Holders, Black Cat Bar members and members of the Home Cup
Payment and Away Ticket Scheme are invited to apply immediately by post
for one seat per season ticket using voucher 27 from their season ticket
book.
Season ticket holders should complete the reverse of voucher 27 as
follows -
1) Complete full name, address and postcode.
2) Indicate 3 choices of ticket price in order of preference - option 3
MUST be 'any' if season ticket holders want to guarantee a ticket.
3) Indicate any concession required by deleting those categories that
are NOT applicable. Sunderland AFC will post adult tickets unless
otherwise stated.
4) Include full credit / debit card details or a signed cheque made
payable to 'Sunderland AFC' with the payment amount left blank.
Then,
1) Season ticket holders should enclose the above information with the
vouchers of any other season ticket holders they want to be seated next
to.
2) All applications must enclose a stamped self-addressed envelope.
3) Applications should be posted to 'SEASON, PO BOX 165, SUNDERLAND, SR5
1WF'.
Season ticket holders are also welcome to hand in applications in person
at the Stadium of Light ticket office. However, tickets will not be
issued over the counter in any circumstances and CASH applications will
not be accepted due the fact that three price choices are required.
For security reasons there is no post box at the Stadium of Light.
Wheelchair season ticket holders requiring wheelchair positions and
tickets for their personal assistants should make applications in the
same way but post to 'SEASON SPECIAL, PO BOX 165, SUNDERLAND, SR51WF.
PRICES:
All applications must be received by Sunderland AFC by no later than
5.30pm on Wednesday 17th March. All season ticket holders that apply by
this date are guaranteed a ticket for the semi final, although not
necessarily at their preferred price.
Adult £55 No Concessions
Adult £45 No Concessions
Adult £35 No Concessions
Adult £25 Concession (U16/OAP) £12.50 - please note limited numbers only
Non-season ticket sales
The Club is still awaiting confirmation of its final ticket allocation
for the FA Cup Semi Final and as such will not be making a further
announcement regarding non-season ticket sales, until a later date.
However, the club can confirm that the allocation procedure for
non-season ticket sales will be based on the number of tickets purchased
and recorded for the 2003/04 season. Tickets purchased for matches not
yet played will be included.
Supporters are advised that tickets purchased on a match day or via
turnstiles are not recorded for this purpose due to insufficient
opportunity to collect personal data.
Finally, Sunderland AFC would also like to advise all supporters that it
will be unable to enter into correspondence or accept phone calls
regarding the allocation of tickets for this match at this very busy
time due to the club's current fixture back log coupled with the FA Cup
semi final.
The Club will ensure all that all relevant ticketing information is
updated on www.safc.com/tickets and released to the media, and would
like to thank all supporters for their co-operation and understanding in
this matter.
Pies-related misconduct with support from Jody?!
Former Sunderland defender Paul "Pies" Butler faces an FA charge of misconduct tomorrow (Wed).
The charge is in relation to the match last November where Wolves lost 2-0 to Middlesbrough at The Riverside. Paul is accused of using "threatening, violent or insulting behaviour".
Referee Steve Dunn who oversaw the game, and two Smog stewards will be giving statements, and Butler will be represented by his club boss Dave Jones and the PFA deputy CEO, Mick McGuire.
Meanwhile Paul's team-mate Jody Craddock has called on the club to give his colleague a new contract as soon as possible - Butler's contract expires this summer.
Jody said "He's proved this season that he can cut it in the Premier League. He is probably the best centre-half I've played with in the air - I cover him, but he wins it every time."
Butler went from Sunderland to Wolves on loan in November 2000, signing a permanent contract with them in January 2001 for £1m. Craddock went to Wolves in July last summer in the post-relegation clearout, for £1.75m.
FA Cup Semi Final: Away Supporters' Guide to Old Trafford
RTG’s totally and utterly (we hope) indispensable guide to this season’s away grounds.
THE OPPO – Millwall
VENUE – Old Trafford, Manchester
DATE – Sunday 4th April
KO TIME – 1.00pm
THE GROUND – Old Trafford – click here and here for maps of the area - the circle/arrow near the middle shows where the ground is.
Old Trafford is about two miles south-west of Manchester city centre, close to the ring road and handy for the M62 and its connection to the M6. The stadium itself is the largest league ground in England, holding just over 67,000 people.
Up to 3,000 visiting supporters can be accommodated in one corner of the ground.
Ticket information still to be confirmed by SAFC – details will be posted on our ticket news page as soon as we get the details.
GOING BY CAR?
Travelling from the north east, get yourself onto the A1/A1M southbound; just after you pass junction 45 (for the A64 Leeds/York road) you’ll see signs for the M1 – so take the M1 southbound.
You join the M1 at jcn 48 and you need to stay on it until you reach jcn 42.
Then leave the M1 for the M62 westbound, signposted ‘Manchester’.
At M62 jcn 18 (just after Birch Service Area) go straight ahead at the interchange onto the M60 westbound.
Leave the M60 at Junction 9 and join Parkway (A5081) towards Trafford Park.
At the first island take the 3rd exit onto Village Way and remain on this road until the next island (controlled by traffic lights).
At this island take the second exit and then join Wharfside Way.
The right-turn into Sir Matt Busby Way will be closed on the day but you should already have seen signs for car parking by this point, and the stadium is off to your right.
PARKING
- There are lots of officially-run, secure car parks close to the ground – you’ll see the brown direction signs on all approaches to the ground.
- As for street parking, it’s risky – on matchdays there are “Residents Only” and “No Waiting” schemes in force on most roads in the immediate vicinity of the ground, and you run the risk of being fined, clamped or towed away if you take the risk.
- You can park at Old Trafford Cricket Ground which will set you back £5
- or even drive to nearby Altrincham town centre – park there and get the Metrolink to the ground (the ground has its own railway and Metrolink stations).
- Some pubs in Altrincham will let you use their car park for free, providing you have a pre-match drink with them.
- You can also take the Metrolink Park & Ride service from Ladywell Halt in Eccles to the stadium, with the added benefit of secure free parking at the station, the Metrolink return fare is £1.20.
GOING BY TRAIN?
Old Trafford stadium has its own railway station behind the south stand. The stop is only open on matchdays, for trains arriving before the match from Manchester, Crewe and Macclesfield, and for the return trains after the final whistle.
The 8am GNER service from Newcastle Central Station will get you to York one hour later then change for the 9.15am Transpennine Express which gets you to Manchester Picadilly at 10.43am – ample time for a bit of food and drink before you catch a connection to Old Trafford.
Going back to the North East, the 4.13pm Transpennine Express gets you to Newcastle at 7pm, the 5.15pm service gets you back at 8pm or the 5.40pm service gets you back at 8.33pm.
A ‘Saver Return’ ticket for that journey will set you back just under £50.
For train times for that day, check the National Rail website.
”I’M A MACKEM, FLY ME!”
London and South-East based Mackems can take one of the following British Airways flights:
6.15am from Gatwick - £15 (excluding taxes)
7.40am from Heathrow
9.00am from Gatwick
9.50am from Heathrow
Going back to London there are BA flights from Manchester as follows:
4.15pm to Gatwick
4.30pm to Heathrow
6.25pm to Heathrow
(Details, prices and online booking at www.britishairways.co.uk).
The airport's proximity to the M56 provides an easy route by road to Old Trafford and the city centre. The average journey time is between 20 and 30 minutes. Or passengers can travel by train from the airport to the city's main railway station Piccadilly (20 minutes) and then by tram to Old Trafford on Metrolink's Manchester to Altrincham service (further 20 minutes).
OR EVEN……
Not so flush?
The National Express coach service leaving Sunderland Park Lane at 7.30am on the day will get you to central Manchester at 11.35 (includes a 35min stop at Leeds). Returning, the 4.05pm coach out of Manchester gets you back to Sunderland at 8.15pm (incl 50 min break at Leeds) or the 5pm coach goes direct to Sunderland, arriving at 9.20pm. And it’ll only cost you £17 total.
Take the ALS coach and tell them they owe the Angels several pints for all these links this season…
STOPPING OVER?
Golden Tulip Hotel, opposite stadium – tel 0161 873 8899 – from £65 per room per night (double/twin rooms)
Travelodge Manchester Central (2 miles away) – tel 0870 191 1659.
Travel Inn Salford Quays (1 mile away) – tel 08701 977 176
Express by Holiday Inn, Salford Quays (1 mile away) – tel 0161 868 1000
SCRAN AND BOOZE
Potentially a problem finding time for a pre-match drink with Sunday boozing legislation dictating that pubs don’t open until noon….and kick off’s at 1pm. Alcohol is usually sold in the stadium itself but the Red Café is closed for all but hospitality package clients on matchdays.
The Bishop Blaize on Chester Road is a typical Wetherspoons and over the road to that is The Trafford, the closest pub to the stadium.
LEND US A FIVER I’M OUT OF CASH
Nee probs – there are two ATMs actually at the stadium (HSBC and Halifax) , and another at Chester Road News, a a short walk away.
Credits: Manchester United FC, United We Stand, Link, Soccerbase, Yellow Pages, The AA, BBC, Streetmap, Multimap, National Rail, National Express.
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FA rejects Arsenal appeal for Cardiff semi final BUT....
The FA has rejected Arsenal's appeal for their FA Cup semi final match to be played at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, and confirmed that the venues remain as Villa Park and Old Trafford.
However the FA did agree to Arsenal's request that the match be moved forward 24 hours, and played on Saturday 3rd April.
The Manchester - Arsenal tie will be broadcast on BBC TV with a kick off time of either 12 noon or 12.15pm.
Sunderland's tie with either Millwall or Tranmere will be on Sunday 4th April kicking off at 1pm, and will be live on Sky Sports.
The FA statement read "The match has been brought forward to the Saturday in order to help the clubs prepare for possible Champions League quarter-finals the following Tuesday or Wednesday. The choice of Old Trafford and Villa Park as semi-final venues was made by the FA Challenge Cup committee prior to Monday’s Cup draw. In the light of the draw, The FA considered whether Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium would be a suitable option for either or both Semi-Finals, but having given full consideration to the logistical implications, it was decided that Old Trafford and Villa Park were the best options".
Mick rejects Cardiff semi venue plan
Mick McCarthy has given a thumbs-down to the notion of relocating the FA Cup semi finals to Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
He gave his view as news emerged that Arsenal have asked the FA to consider both relocating their semi-final match against Manchester United to the Millennium Stadium AND bringing it forward by 24 hours to Saturday 3rd April.
Both Arsenal and Man Utd will have large travelling contingents, and the Cardiff venue - already earmarked for the final - holds 72,000 people, around 30,000 more than the proposed venue of Villa Park.
But Mick McCarthy said today that he doesn't agree with the idea of switching the venue.
"I don't see that there's any reason why we should be moved from Old Trafford to be quite honest.
"Four weeks ago (after the Cardiff league match), I didn't think I'd even want to be going back to Cardiff. Four weeks on, I can't wait, I'm desperate to go there now - but no, only for the final.
"If we get to the final, I'd be happy to travel down to Cardiff."
There IS a precedent - in 1993 the Arsenal v Tottenham semi-final was moved to Wembley Stadium and attracted a crowd of 76,263 - and the other last-four clash between Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday was also moved to Wembley, attracting just over 75,000.
The FA has refused to comment further, but said it hopes to confirm the semi-final venues today.
