After weeks of confusion and uncertainty, the Premier League have finally set an official date and kick-off time for Chelsea's home game against Manchester United later this month. The fixture was initially set to take place on Sunday, October 23, but has been brought forward by a day due to Chelsea's Champions League commitments.
The game will now kick-off at 5:30pm on Saturday, October 22, with United's away ticket allocation being cut by 624, so the game can be downgraded to a 'medium-risk' fixture. United revealed that the Metropolitan Police wanted to cut the away allocation to 1,500 tickets, but the Red Devils 'succeeded' and settled upon an agreement of 2,370. United may have to hold a ballot to decide which supporters go to Stamford Bridge and who misses out on a ticket.
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The Chelsea Supporters Trust released a statement voicing their disgust that the kick-off time had only been confirmed with 15 days to go until the fixture. A statement read: "This confirms that as long as the game can be broadcast, supporters are disposable - this is an insult & sets a dangerous precedent. We stand with MUST [Manchester United Supporters Trust] and the 624 supporters who will have their tickets cancelled."
Meanwhile, MUST released a statement claiming that they were considering legal action against the Met Police.
"We find it abhorrent and a disgraceful precedent that an away allocation has been cut weeks before a game and after tickets have been allocated," they said.
"We find it even worse this seems to be because the Met Police - whilst able to handle all sorts of major events, not least a state funeral at short notice - cannot cope with 3,000 people in an away end.
"We are now considering legal action against the Met Police on behalf of our fans affected by this decision to reduce our allocation after tickets have been sold to fans in good faith, many of whom will have booked travel."
United had already sold their away allocation of 2,994 tickets for the game but they've seen their allocation cut, despite holding discussions with Chelsea and the Met Police.
In a letter to supporters, United said: "In recent days we have been in consultation with the Premier League and Chelsea FC after the Metropolitan Police proposed a reduction in our away allocation due to policing concerns.
"The police initially sought to cut our allocation from 2,994 to 1,500. We have strongly opposed any reduction and worked with Chelsea to present a range of mitigations to the local Safety Advisory Group, which we believe could have allowed the game to proceed safely with our full allocation of fans.
"Unfortunately, the police have continued to insist on a reduction. However, we have succeeded in increasing the allocation to 2,370.
"While we are very disappointed by this outcome and believe it is unjustified, it is clear it is a final decision. We are now urgently considering options for how to manage the removal of 624 tickets from the original allocation which had already been agreed with Chelsea and sold.
"We will send further communications on Monday outlining our approach. In the meantime, we strongly advise against booking travel.
"We have turned off ticket forwarding for this game. If you are unable to attend the match, please contact 0161 676 7770. However, please be aware that the contact centre does not have any additional information and will be unable to discuss the situation with you.
"Everyone at Manchester United shares the inevitable disappointment and frustration about both the reduced allocation, and the long delay in confirming arrangements for this game. Over recent years, we have made significant progress in protecting away ticket allocations for our fans and we can assure you that we will continue to fight for this in future."
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