- Fan groups criticise venue
- FA urged to step in
- Joie Stadium row continues
Manchester United fan groups have criticised the decision to stage the FA Youth Cup final at the Joie Stadium as the venue debate continues.
Manchester City and Manchester United are set to meet in the FA Youth Cup final next week. The fixture will be one of the biggest academy games of the season.
However, the build-up has now become dominated by the decision of the venue. The FA decided to stage the final at the Joie Stadium instead of the Etihad Stadium or Old Trafford.
City have the home advantage, but the Etihad is unavailable due to ongoing work around the North Stand.
Man United fan groups criticise FA Youth Cup final venue
According to Manchester Evening News, Man United fan groups have called for the FA to step in over the decision of the youth cup final venue.
A joint statement from the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust and the United Fans’ Forum described the decision as a ‘disgrace’.
The groups claimed that the final should be played at either the Etihad Stadium or Old Trafford instead. “The FA needs to step in and ensure the game can be played at either the Etihad or Old Trafford. Time to put fans first for once,” said the fan groups.
The report adds that United offered to host the fixture at Old Trafford, but City rejected that proposal. It was an obvious decision as the Sky Blues didn’t want to lose the home advantage.
The fan groups also pointed to the 2022 FA Youth Cup final. The Red Devils beat Nottingham Forest to win the cup as Old Trafford was filled with 67,000 supporters.
Joie Stadium decision creates obvious supporter issue
The frustration is easy to understand with the Joie Stadium only being able to host 7,000 fans at a time. For a derby final, that decision was always going to create criticism.
Both clubs have fanbases large enough to turn the match into a major academy occasion. However, City don’t want to lose the home advantage despite the unavailability of the Etihad.
They’d rather host the game at the Joie Stadium than move it to Old Trafford, as the best available venue isn’t in City’s best interests.
Man City youngsters must ignore final noise
For the City’s U18s, the most important task now is focusing on the final and avoiding the noise from becoming a distraction.
Oliver Reiss’ side earned their place in the final after scoring four past Blackburn Rovers in the semis. United, on the other hand, barely edged past Crystal Palace with a 2-1 scoreline.
The debate regarding the venue is unlikely to disappear before next week’s fixture. If anything, the statement from the fan groups will only increase the focus on the stadium selection.
However, City’s youngsters have no control over these decisions. Their job is to make sure that they give their best no matter the venue.
