Empty Seats Plague FA Cup Semi-Final: What Went Wrong?

Manchester City Reach Third Consecutive FA Cup Final with Empty Seats at Wembley

Manchester City reached their third consecutive FA Cup final on Sunday, defeating Nottingham Forest, but the game was played against a backdrop of thousands of empty seats in the blue half of Wembley. The semi-final was the seventh consecutive appearance for City at the stadium since their 2011 victory over Manchester United, but the frequent trips from Manchester to London appear to have taken their toll, with an attendance of 72,976 for Sunday's game at the 90,000-capacity stadium.

The ticket-sales breakdown for the four semi-finalists this year were approximately: Nottingham Forest - 36,000, Crystal Palace - 35,500, Aston Villa - 34,000, and Manchester City - 27,000. Factors such as Nottingham Forest having a remarkable season, Crystal Palace being based in London, and Aston Villa's buoyant team chasing silverware under Unai Emery can be taken into consideration for those numbers.

Kevin Parker, general secretary of City's official supporters' club, pointed out the price of tickets, travel costs, food, and drinks, as well as the Sunday kick-off time, as the major factors for the number of empty seats. Some City fans are planning further protests during the Premier League game against Wolves over what they say is the club's refusal to increase the number of season-ticket holders.

There have also been calls to move semi-finals away from Wembley to another neutral venue. Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola suggested that one day, the FA Cup might be played at Old Trafford, the Etihad, Anfield, or Goodison Park. However, Wembley is the home of the semi-finals and can accommodate the greatest number of fans for the clubs competing in the last four.

Source: BBC Sports Football