Liverpool news: This may be real reason behind FA decision as Jordan Henderson fumes – ex-Fifa official
Monetary reasons are behind the Football Association’s insistence on hosting the FA Cup semi-final between Man City and Liverpool at Wembley.
That is according to ex-Fifa and Premier League official Keith Hackett, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the travel arrangements for the game over the Easter weekend.
All trains between the north-west and London are suspended over the FA Cup semi-final weekend due to railworks.
In an official statement on Friday (25 March), the FA confirmed they have chartered 100 buses to provide free travel for up to 5,000 fans.
As quoted by The Athletic (26 March), Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson said he is “really disappointed” by the struggle fans face and called for the game to be played at a different neutral venue.
When asked for his thoughts on the predicament, Hackett told Football Insider‘s Dylan Childs: “They are going to put x number of buses on…
“It brings me back to the argument about kick off times. I think fans are treated secondary. There is a lot of tradition taken out.
“The FA want to gain every penny they can out of those games. Wembley is a costly building and that is what it is about. This is not about the fans. This is about the FA gaining revenue from its venue and getting a payback for the costs.
“I can understand it but it has taken away something. I remember doing semi-finals at Villa and the build-up was special.
“The FA knew that this was going to be a problem for a while but they have only reacted now. Fans are resilient, they will want to go regardless.”
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