Man Utd and Man City fans handed separate SERVICE STATIONS in unprecedented FA Cup final police operation | The Sun

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.

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.

READ MORE ON MAN UT

Sir Alex looks in good spirits as he gives Sale Sharks pep talk ahead of final

Win an incredible Rolex or £15k cash alternative from just 89p with our discount code

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.

Most read in FA Cup

IN DEMAND

Major BBC TV show has Phillip Schofield in its sights after his This Morning axe

PHIL US IN

This Morning bosses dramatically release new Phillip Schofield statement

PIERS MORGAN

Phillip Schofield is no evil monster – one vile hypocrite at ITV is much worse

PAEDO STAR

Disgraced paedo Rolf Harris died two WEEKS ago aged 93 from neck cancer

FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS

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.

Source: Read Full Article