McDonald Backs 35,984 Middlesbrough Tickets for Wembley
Middlesbrough tickets went on sale for 35,984 seats at Wembley after Southampton were thrown out of the Championship play-offs, setting up a final against Hull City for a place in the Premier League. The club said the allocation for the West End of Wembley Stadium would be sold online because of the short timescales and the number of tickets available.
McDonald on Southampton appeal
Andy McDonald called on Southampton to withdraw their appeal during the disciplinary case and said, "It's a nonsense and they shouldn't be putting anybody through any more inconvenience because of their behaviour,". After the appeal was dismissed, he added, "It really was the only decision the commission could come to, but that said, I was still worried that they wouldn't do it, so fair play to them."
He also said, "What an opportunity. Now the Boro have got to seize it with both hands." For Middlesbrough, the route to Wembley changed after Southampton were charged with watching training sessions involving Oxford United and Ipswich Town and with filming Middlesbrough as they prepared for the first leg of their play-off semi-final on 7 May.
Wembley allocation and sales
Southampton beat Middlesbrough in the semi-final before the appeal was dismissed, and Middlesbrough fans were left moving quickly to secure their place for the 15:30 BST kick-off. The club said tickets were only available on its ticketing website in recognition of the short timescales and the number of tickets available.
That left some supporters dealing with problems while trying to buy, including season-ticket holders and fans needing disabled and carer passes. There were also long queues outside the ticket office at the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday, even though sales were online only.
Arca and Redknapp
Julio Arca called the final "a great opportunity" and said, "Opportunities often come when you don't expect it and you have to take advantage of them." He added, "The players should be okay and motivated enough to play this massive game."
Harry Redknapp described Southampton's expulsion as "very harsh" and said, "I didn't see that coming - I thought they would get a heavy fine,". Middlesbrough now head to Wembley with 35,984 tickets allotted to their supporters and a coach service running from the Riverside Stadium, with the club asking fans to buy a coach ticket only after securing a match ticket.
