Wigan sell just 5,500 tickets for Community Shield

[purpleronnie]

 

Red faces at FA after Wigan sell just 5,500 tickets for Community Shield

The FA face major embarrassment after it emerged FA Cup winners Wigan have sold just 5,500 tickets for Sunday's showpiece Community Shield at Wembley.

Wigan, relegated from the Barclays Premier League last season, turned down an initial allocation of 15,000 tickets from the FA after beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final having taken 25,000 fans to that end-of-season showpiece.

Instead they were given 7,500 tickets to sell for the clash with Premier League champions Manchester United for the season's traditional curtain-raiser.

 

Strong presence: Wigan took more than 2,500 supporters to their first game back in the Championship

But Wigan's priority is to get promoted back to the Premier League at the first attempt and that has been reflected in the lack of interest in Sunday's 200 mile trip to London.

Owen Coyle's team got off to a flying start in the Championship on Saturday with a thumping 4-0 win over Barnsley at Oakwell.

Wigan took more than 2,500 supporters to their first game back in the Championship following relegation but they have shown no interest in the Community Shield.

The town's rugby league team play in the Tetley's Challenge Cup Final on August 24 against Hull FC and are expected to sell out their allocation.

 

Four-star performance: Wigan ran out 4-0 winners against Barnsley on their Championship comeback

Although Wembley are bracing themselves for big empty spaces, they have been surprised by the interest from United supporters in the clash.

United sold out their initial 38,000 allocation within days and requested another 7,500 tickets from the FA.

Last night they had sold 42,800 tickets for David Moyes's first official fixture in charge of United and expect to sell out before Sunday.

United's Community Shield commitment comes just two days after Rio Ferdinand's testimonial against Sevilla at Old Trafford on Friday evening.

 

Empty seats: Last year's Community Shield between Manchester City and Chelsea wasn't sold out

 Wigan fans' lack of interest is another headache for the FA, who were forced to move the fixture to Villa Park last season because of the Olympics and they couldn't even sell out  Manchester City against Chelsea.

 

 

[Corky]

They are probably saving up for some more worthwhile European trips in September and October.

[The Horse's Mouth]

[fleckneymike]

Got an email offering me tickets in both ends. Looked at the Utd end and cheap tickets still available. 

[Royston.]

play the game "up north" so fans dont have to travel so far.

[Fox in the North]

Well you see that's because wigans fans actually live in Wigan and not all over the country.

[Asha]

They probably saving up for some more worthwhile European trips in September and October.

Exactly, and I'm sure they'll get a lot more out of those.

 

If Leicester had already been to Wembley a few months previously and won the FA Cup, would many of us really be that arsed about forking out to go to the Community Shield? 

[RowlattsFox]

They've been Wembley twice in the last couple of months, and travel is expensive. I know I wouldn't go to Wembley 3 times in quick succession. Aren't Wigan warriors at Wembley soon as well?

Should travel round the county, was at villa park last year.

[ScouseFox]

No great surprise or story at all really. It's expensive as fukc, they've been twice already, it's basically a fukcing friendly and they'll obviously lose 3 or 4-0. It's on a Sunday and its on tv too.

I definitely wouldn't be going.