Manchester City and Manchester United fans heading to London for the FA Cup final are being advised to take different motorway routes and use specific allocated service stations.
The rivals are facing off in a major final for the first time at Wembley next Saturday, June 3. Each club has sold out its allocation of 30,500 tickets for the historic clash.
Those heading to the capital have been hit with huge travel headaches after both the train driver's union Aslef and the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers union (RMT) announced strike action in their ongoing disputes. It means there will be no direct trains between Manchester and London on Saturday.
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Both clubs have laid on extra coaches as have the FA who have secured 120 coaches, 60 for each club, to try and help 'compensate' for the loss of train services.
Following the announcement of the industrial action, fan groups warned of fears of delays on the main routes to London as well as concerns over the mingling of both sets of fans at service stations.
And official travel advice has now been issued advising coach drivers, and both Blues and Reds travelling by car, to take different routes and different service stations during their journeys.
The event page on the Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) website says City fans are being 'encouraged' to take the M62/M1, M6/M1 or the M6 and M6 Toll/M1 for their journey. United fans are being advised to use the M6/42/M40.
TfGM have also issued a list of 'allocated motorway service stations.' Those for City fans include Lymm, Sandbach, Stafford, Watford Gap and London Gateway. United's include Knutsford, Keele, Hilton, Warwick, and Beaconsfield.
TfGM are urging fans to plan their journey 'well in advance' and to 'allow additional time for travel and check the road network carefully as it is likely that traditional routes to Wembley will be busier than normal.'
"Anyone without an official match ticket should not travel to the game" they add.
Official coaches will also leave from different points. United fans have been told to meet at the AJ Bell Stadium in Salford, while City supporters will leave from the Metrolink park and ride car parks in East Didsbury and Radcliffe due to Coldplay concert at the Etihad that day.
The clubs' meeting at the national stadium in the semi-finals of the FA Cup in April 2011, which City won 1-0 on their way to winning the competition, was marred by violent scenes around the stadium with 34 arrests being made.
It saw a number of measures, including segregated coach parks, being introduced when they met in the Community Shield four months later.
This year's match will kick-off at 3pm having been brought forward from the usual 5:30pm television slot, reportedly at the request of the Metropolitan Police.
The Met have yet to outline details of their policing operation for the game but said last week they were in discussions with various partners to 'to ensure the safety and security of those attending the final.'
Recommended routes
Manchester City fans
- M62/M1 (the advised route for City supporters)
- M6/M1
- M6/M6 Toll/M1
Manchester United fans
United supporters: M6/M42/M40
Full list of allocated service stations
City supporters
- Lymm
- Sandbach
- Stafford
- Norton Canes
- Corley
- Rugby
- Watford Gap
- Northampton
- Newport Pagnell
- Toddington
- London Gateway
United supporters
- Knutsford
- Keele
- Hilton
- Warwick
- Cherwell Valley
- Oxford
- Beaconsfield
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