Fans launch a petition in backlash to the ticket allocation for the 2024/25 National League playoff final between Southend and Oldham.
Each club has been allocated 17,500 tickets, a reduction attributed to safety concerns due to planned engineering works on the trainline, which will prevent trains from stopping at Wembley Park station.
The petition, supported by outlets like the Southend Echo and Oldham Times, urges authorities to increase the ticket allocation, emphasising the significance of the match for both clubs.
Sign this petition to give Southend United and Oldham Athletic fans more tickets for Wembley
Let’s show how much this match means to two fantastic football clubs whose supporters deserve so much more
Sign here: https://t.co/Aj9yYGDkRlhttps://t.co/Aj9yYGDkRl
— Chris Phillips (@CJPhillips1982) May 23, 2025
Please sign and share my petition to give Southend United and Oldham Athletic fans more tickets for Wembley@AllAtSeaFanzine @shrimperstrust @OfficialTBV @SZtweets @fan_southend1 https://t.co/ccKSUU2YQQ
— Chris Phillips (@CJPhillips1982) May 23, 2025
The change.org petition read: The Issue – Southend United and Oldham Athletic have fought incredibly hard to make the National League play-off final.
“The clubs are incredibly well supported and have overcome big off-field issues to give their incredible supporters a day to remember by reaching Wembley.
“These teams do not reach Wembley often and between them would undoubtably set an attendance record for this game if allowed.
“However, as it stands both clubs have received just 17,500 tickets for the game due to planned engineering works on the train line.
“These days are potentially a once in a lifetime opportunity for fans and as many of them as possible should be allowed in.
“Please join me in signing this petition and show how much these clubs mean to so many people.”
SOUTHEND STATEMENT:
It’s been a frenetic few days since our fantastic win against Forest Green Rovers.
We’d like to thank supporters for their patience while the club worked with several stakeholders to maximise our ticket allocation for the match.
Wembley Park station is closed due to engineering works on the London Underground, which Transport for London have said (as of 6pm today) cannot be delayed or postponed. This means that Wembley Central Station will be the main station used by supporters on matchday.
In order to allay safety concerns relating to the pressure that Wembley Central station will be put under – as a result of Wembley Park being closed – ticket sales for our game have, at this stage, been limited to 17,500 per club – plus packages sold with coach travel included. At present we have sourced 28 coaches, which takes us to 18,900.
We believe that more than 30,000 Southend fans will want to attend Wembley, and that Oldham will want to take something similar. This would mean this year’s Promotion Final could smash the record attendance for a Vanarama National League Promotion Final game, which stands at 47,029 (a record which has stood for 10 years).
We have communicated the information above to all relevant parties, including Wembley Stadium, the National League, the Mayor of London’s Office and senior Government Ministers. These stakeholders have been supportive and engaging, and are committed to continuing to work with us to find solutions, for which we are grateful.
We will continue to work with the parties mentioned above and other stakeholders over the Bank Holiday weekend with a view to identifying a road map to increase our allocation. In addition, we will source extra coaches (which will enable us to sell in excess of 18,900 in any event).
We understand and appreciate that this information will cause frustration and disappointment to our supporters. Our focus at present is finding solutions to the problems we have been presented with and increasing our ticket allocation. We will provide an update in the early part of next week (latest).
The Shrimpers Trust and the Oldham Athletic Supporters Foundation say they are dismayed at the news of a capacity cap for next Sunday’s Vanarama National League Promotion Final at Wembley Stadium.
Although Southend United and Oldham Athletic will be rivals on 1″ June, both clubs are very much alike, as century-old institutions that are the heart of their local communities. Both clubs are poster children for the urgent need for a football regulator, with recent histories plagued with financial mismanagement, unscrupulous owners and scrapes with liquidation.
Both football clubs have come through their existential crises and are now on the up again, and this should be a celebratory moment for them and their communities. Under normal circumstances, next Sunday’s match would likely smash the current Vanarama National League Promotion Final attendance record. All supporters deserve the chance to cheer on their respective team at such a historic and potentially once-in-a-lifetime event.
Unfortunately, the excitement on both sides has been trampled on by the seemingly-amateurish planning of several key stakeholders around next weekend’s final.
We understand that the decision to suspend the tube line was taken long before our direct involvement. However, it feels like the mitigations are overkill. Wembley Central and Wembley Stadium stations remain open, with Bakerloo Line and Overground services stopping at Wembley Central and Chiltern Railways running extra trains through Wembley Stadium on the day, and buses are running.
Why has Wembley’s capacity been capped at less than 50% when there is still plenty of footfall capacity at other train stations? Why is it that Twickenham Stadium (capacity 82,000) can fully operate with only one train station servicing it, and both the Emirates and Tottenham Hotspur stadiums (capacities c.60,000) operate with two similarly close train stations?
Serious questions must also be asked of the National League. Why have this season’s playoff matches been scheduled so much later than usual? Why, likely with advance knowledge of the scheduled engineering works, was the playoff final booked for this particular day? How long ago did the National League agree to this ticketing plan, why was it not communicated earlier, and why was the potential for a big crowd not factored in?
Most importantly, we question the ability to execute on the prestige of a Wembley day out if capacity is capped. Wembley will be a shadow of its potential with a half-full stadium. This wouldn’t happen for the FA Cup final, or for the EFL playoff finals, or for a Taylor Swift concert. If it did, then a workable solution would be found. Why is the National League playoff final not being treated similarly? It feels like it is not cared about, and the entire sorry affair will become emblematic of a disjointed football pyramid, and of a national stadium increasingly disconnected from its primary usage – football.
We implore Brent Council and Wembley Stadium to understand the need for greater capacity, and for all key stakeholders to support both football clubs, the Shrimpers Trust and the Oldham Athletic Supporters Foundation in making next Sunday a special day for both communities, by finding creative and workable ways to raise the capacity cap.
Stan Collymore tweeted: “Dear @SadiqKhan, @TheVanaramaNL, @TfL
“Oldham play Southend on June 1st at Wembley for a place back in the Football League. Both clubs have huge numbers who want to attend and support their team, just like Palace, City, Forest, Villa and Liverpool fans have this season without issue.
“Because of engineering works the suggestion is a restriction on numbers as Wembley Park station will be closed. This is neither the fault of either club and the proposed cap on supporters, many of whom will be visiting Wembley for the first and maybe last time are being unfairly punished.
“The record for a NL playoff final is 47,000. It’s safe to say that without restrictions this record would be broken, but any cap would not only be unfair to supporters who don’t often get the opportunity for a Wembley day out but would probably not be implemented would this be a Premier League or England national team game.
“Clubs in the pyramid need every opportunity they can get to shine, compete and grow their supporter base and Wembley is always an opportunity to do so, along with stimulating support in the communities of Oldham and Southend respectively. Mr Mayor, as we have followed each other for some time on here, I’d be more than happy to set out a thousand reasons why it is important for both clubs to be fully represented at Wembley, and should only be afforded the same privilege as any club, namely to “fill the damn place”.
“National League and EFL clubs are hamstrung enough in this day and age where the top of the pyramid rules, I hope between you you could find a sensible solution to allow Oldham Athletic and Southend United supporters their day too.”
Twitter users reacted as fans launch a petition in backlash to the ticket allocation for the 2024/25 National League playoff final…
@GSeawert: Signed it Chris. I now live abroad and had to book flights (and accommodation) as there were not many options to get to the final on Sunday. Never in a million years did I think we wouldn’t get tickets, being Wembley. Have already shelled out a lot of £’s!!
@jdowie70: Hello @wembleystadium it’s @TfL here , we’re going to shut Wembley Park station on 1st June , we haven’t checked if you’re having any events as sure it will be fine. Actually shall we also ask @MayorofLondon, nah honestly it’s all ok 😡🙄
@kumbdotcom: Southend and Oldham given just 17.5k tickets each for the National League play-off final (due to rail works). They could’ve filled Wembley between them.
@Simontimofish: Sooner we out of this tin pot league the better
@neilhay3s: That’s an absolute shitshow. Play it at Tottenham or Arsenal. Getting as many fans to the game is far more important than where it’s played.
@antsk: @DavidBSampson please help the club! Due to engineering works, they’re limiting the number of your constituents who can attend a huge final (we got 30k+ to Wembley before) which is a joke
@skimwilk81: So in a stadium that holds 90,000. Fans could potentially miss out on going? Or have I got this wrong? #oafc
@antsk: Please fight our corner – if needed we can get coaches or drive to places like Watford to get the tube that is working?!! Limiting ticket sales will cost the club and the loyal fans willing to travel
@299Peter: @DavidBSampson @BayoAlaba What an almighty embarrassment! Have a word with your mate Khan and sort this out – @Anna_Firth would have created havoc over this. Now demonstrate your true support of our City’s biggest community asset! @shrimperstrust
@SSOrient1879: Leyton Orient Supporters here that’s ridiculous Southend United have excellent support surely should be given 30,000 at least regardless of transport issues same goes for Oldham Athletic both proper Football Clubs
@LukeDeann: Absolutely atrocious from @TfL and @TheVanaramaNL yet again. Shock horror
@bringbackngoo: Get absolutely fucked @TheVanaramaNL. Thousands of fans potentially missing seeing their team at Wembley because you can’t organise a final with more than 35,000 fans at a venue with a capacity of 90,000+.
@leesyoafc: What is the point holding it at the biggest ground in the country at 1/3 capacity
@jabbso: Thanks for the update. TFL need to sort this out. It’s a complete lack of respect to both teams to behave in such a manner. This isn’t a tinpot final, it’s a 70k+ final!
@luke_8m: Surely both clubs should put a foot down and refuse this offer, 1. 40k at wembley will look awful, 2. It’s at half capacity 3. Other stadiums available 4. So many fans will miss out 5. Valuable revenue will be lost, I could go on and on! Shambles
@HarryConstabl13: They do realise there will still be loads travelling from the inner city for the pre-party right? What is the point?
@blues_pl: Tremendous transparency and leadership from the football club- bravo. Hopefully common sense prevails and we end to with 30,000 shrimpers at Wembley!
@Raycrud: Well done the clubs but this is absolutely disgusting @wembleystadium @TheVanaramaNL @TfL @MayorofLondon @DavidBSampson Why not set up fanzones from 9am to 9pm to spread people out and take the pressure off? Or run the jubilee line as normal preferably.
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