United to take 6,000 to Anfield

MANCHESTER UNITED should have in excess of 6,000 fans at the powderkeg FA Cup fourth-round tie with Liverpool at Anfield later this month.

Although the Merseyside giants have yet to confirm exactly how many tickets they have decided to allocate their fierce north-west rivals, tradition dictates United will get the entire bottom tier of the Anfield Road stand, which holds just under 6,400. And Liverpool City Council have informed Red Devils supporters that objections to them getting their full allocation, which resulted in ticket numbers for the Premier League encounter between the two clubs in October being cut, have now been removed.

Instead, the two seats at the end of each row, amounting to around 300, will not be sold.

“We have taken into account the improvement of the Manchester United supporters at the most recent Premier League fixture relating to the blocking of gangways and aisles,” said Stephen Clare Liverpool City Council’s principal licensing officer.

“Migration was still occurring to the rear of the stand but not to the extent of previous years. However, due to the large increase in capacity for this fixture we’ve deemed it necessary to inform (Liverpool FC) that two seats from either side of the radial gangways from the top to the bottom of the terrace should not be sold for safety reasons.

“This will be in addition to the normal segregation line that was in place for the most recent FA Cup tie, where the Anfield Road stand abuts the Lower Centenary Stand. Liverpool FC will be responsible for determining the actual numbers that this will result in.”

United are bound to be delighted with the news given the huge number of supporters who are bound to want to attend the fixture. It is understood that additional security will be present and the front row of the top tier of the Anfield Road stand will not be sold in a bid to ensure the United fans do not come under fire from unsavoury objects thrown from above, as was the case when the two sides last met in the FA Cup at Anfield, in 2006. There is also certain to be a significant police presence for what will be the first meeting between the teams since the confrontation between Patrice Evra and Luis Suarez, which resulted in the Uruguayan receiving an eight-match ban for racist comments.

Suarez will still be suspended for the cup tie, a date for which should be confirmed by the Football Association in the next few days. However, he would be available for any replay, in addition to the Premier League game at Old Trafford on February 11.