National League final capacity upped to 50,000

The capacity for the National League play-off final has been increased to 50,000, the Mayor of London's office has confirmed.

Southend United are due to kick off against Oldham Athletic on Sunday for a prized place back in the English Football League.

The initial decision to cap numbers at 40,000 by Wembley Stadium was met with uproar by fans - and Labour politicians in Southend lobbied ministers over the issue.

A spokesperson for Sadiq Khan said the latest announcement recognised the stature of the two clubs.

"Both teams are former Football League clubs, but the ticket allocation was determined by the stadium and set at 40,000 before it was known which clubs would be competing," said the spokesperson.

"Following negotiations with Wembley Stadium, Transport for London and the Metropolitan Police, Sadiq Khan and [Mayor of Greater Manchester] Andy Burnham have now confirmed that capacity has been increased to 50,000."

Last week, Wembley Stadium said it was concerned about safety because Wembley Park station was due to close because of engineering works.

The ticket allocations for both clubs were limited to 17,500, not including coach packages they sold.

The Shrimpers Trust supporters' group said excitement for the game had been "trampled on by the seemingly-amateurish planning of several key stakeholders".

Former Southend, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and England striker Stan Collymore also said fans had been "unfairly punished".

David Burton-Sampson, the Labour MP for Southend West and Leigh, called the situation "ridiculous" and wrote several joint letters with Labour colleagues addressed to ministers and authorities.

Extra train services have since been laid on for the Bakerloo Line into Wembley Central, and by Chiltern Railways into Wembley Stadium station.

Shortly after the mayor's announcement, Southend United said it would sell a "final batch of tickets" from 19:30 BST.

The club has already sold 25,000 seats, which includes coach packages.

The BBC contacted Wembley Stadium for comment.

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