English Premier League football club West Bromwich Albion has been given fewer than 300 tickets by League Two club Exeter City for the upcoming FA Cup third-round tie.
The limited allocation is due to a large-scale redevelopment project at the 8,541-capacity St. James Park.
Owing to the construction work, the capacity is currently reduced to 6,087 and the regulation of away teams in the FA Cup receiving 15 per cent of the stadium capacity will not apply.
Albion’s travelling fans will be confined to a section in one of only two stands that will be open for the game.
As a result of being allocated such a small number of tickets, the away club has decided to focus on rewarding its most loyal followers from recent seasons.
Tickets are being made available today (Wednesday) for the 201 away season-ticket holders. The remainder of the allocation will be offered to supporters that have attended every home and away game, including Cup ties, in the past two seasons.
“We have been left in an impossible position in terms of trying to satisfy the demand from our fans to see the game,” said Albion chief executive Martin Goodman.
“The allocation is so small that we felt the best method of distribution was to reward the supporters who have shown the highest level of devotion and support for the club.
“It is unfortunate that many of our equally loyal fans, who might have missed a game for the most understandable of reasons, will fall outside the category.
“We have argued the case for more tickets, but safety concerns at Exeter mean we are restricted to this small pocket in one stand. We trust our fans will understand these are difficulties not of our making.”
Image: Rowan_Massey
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