Twitter thread on shambles ticket allocation situation for Southend v Oldham playoff final goes viral

A brilliant Twitter thread on the shambles ticket allocation situation for the Southend v Oldham playoff final goes viral.

The National League playoff final at Wembley on June 1st, 2025, faces ticket allocation issues due to a reduced stadium capacity.

Each club is allocated 17,500 tickets, with an additional 2,500 available via coach packages, totalling 40,000 seats, plus 5,000 reserved for guests and sponsors.

Wembley’s Safety Advisory Group capped capacity because Wembley Park station is closed for engineering works, raising concerns about the capacity of alternative stations (Wembley Central and Wembley Stadium).

Initially, clubs hoped for 30,000+ tickets each to break the 2015 attendance record of 47,029.

Wembley later offered up to 26,500 tickets per club if 9,000 are coach packages, but logistical challenges, like securing enough coaches (Southend needs 350 but has 40), and high costs complicate this.

Both clubs are exploring shuttle services and lobbying for increased station capacity.

Fans buying coach packages but traveling independently is a concern, as is the National League’s assumption that smaller clubs would reach the final, leading to a lower-tier-only setup to cut costs.

Additionally, clubs must use Wembley’s ticketing system, limiting their ability to grow fan databases, and are restricted to one mascot package each. Despite the potential for a record-breaking attendance, the situation is criticised for poor planning and missed opportunities for clubs and fans.

Senior football news writer for The Athletic, Matt Slater (@mjshrimper), said in a series of tweets on Twitter:

🧵 LOTS of confusion over the ticket allocation for the National League Play-Off Final, Oldham Athletic & Southend United at Wembley on Sunday, June 1. So, after some digging, here’s the latest & how we got to this suboptimal situation.

“As of now, each club can sell 17,500 tickets each, plus 2,500 more if bought as part of a “coach package”. So, initial allocation is 40,000 max, plus 5,000 seats reserved for guests, sponsors, prawn sandwich connoisseurs.

“The capacity has been capped by Wembley’s Safety Advisory Group (Brent Council, cops, Transport for London) because Wembley Park station is shut for vital engineering works that are already delayed. There are two other stations but the SAG is worried about their capacity

“The clubs learned this during a planning meeting with NL on Thursday morning. They were stunned, as they had hoped to sell 30,000+ each, smashing the NL record of 47,029 set in 2015 when Bristol Rovers beat Grimsby. The NL board had been aware of the reduced cap for months.

“Wembley told the clubs they can increase their allocations to 26,500, if 9,000 of those are coach packages. Initially, Oldham were given 200+ coach parking spaces & Southend 140, but it’s now 180 each. These extra tickets will be released on demand basis.

“Southend pointed out it would need 350 coaches to meet demand for tickets, at huge cost. As of now, they’ve found 40 coaches & are looking for more. They’re also exploring a shuttle service from London Gateway services & Brent Cross. Oldham making plans, too.

“Southend’s sponsor C2C, a rail operator, is helping with logistics & both clubs are lobbying MPs & govt to increase capacity at Wembley Central & Wembley Stadium stations. Everyone is working hard to raise the ticket allocations but there are several concerns…

“The first is it’s going to be hard to stop fans buying coach packages but then making their own way there/home. Another is the idea there are 360 coaches available…& their cost. But the biggest concerns are about the NL’s decision-making.

“The league clearly assumed two smaller teams would make the final. Gates for Wembley NL finals since 2015 have ranged from 38,000 to 8,000. That means you only need the lower tier, leaving top two shut, a big saving on the stadium hire bill.

“But Oldham & Southend are the biggest clubs outside the EFL. Both sets of fans have been through the mill in recent years. Under new ownerships, they’re looking forward to the best days in their clubs’ history for years & this should be a great advert for the whole league.

“To make matters worse, the clubs have been told they can’t sell their own allocations – they have to use Wembley’s system. So, a chance for the clubs to grow their databases is lost. They’ve also been told they can only sell one mascot package each, not 11. Why? Because.

“Some may ask what’s the point of staging this game at Wembley if you can’t give fans the full experience & allow clubs to maximise the financial benefits. If all goes well, we will set a new record & every true fan will get a ticket. But it shouldn’t be this hard.”

Fans launch petition in backlash to ticket allocation for 2024/25 National League playoff final

SOUTHEND STATEMENT:

We have worked throughout the weekend to lobby stakeholders with a view to trying to find a solution to lift the capacity restrictions currently in place for our Promotion Final taking place on Sunday 1 June at Wembley Stadium.

Senior Ministers (and other politicians) have been supportive and, as a result, we are informed that, whilst Wembley Park station will remain closed, additional services will run into Wembley Central and also into Wembley Stadium. We believe that these additional services may result in the capacity being lifted from 17,500 per club (plus additional tickets sold with a coach pass). We are waiting to hear from the relevant parties in respect of that.

The current allocation of tickets does not come close to reflecting the scale of demand from our supporters, and as things stand we will almost certainly sell out our allocation (of tickets without a coach package) today – resulting in disappointment for tens of thousands of supporters, many of whom have followed the club through thick and thin.

We are focused on trying to lift the capacity for the final, and as soon as we receive feedback from the key decision makers on that, we will release another statement – we hope that will be later today. Until then, we thank our supporters for your patience.

As mentioned the Twitter thread on the shambles ticket allocation situation for Southend v Oldham playoff final goes viral…

@sufcnum1: Same as the rest of the country, shit on hard-working people. @TheVanaramaNL always been a shambles @TfL don’t care 4 commuters. Wembley don’t care. Mr Khan has never cared. It’s always someone else’s fault. No wonder the country is ducked cant organise piss up in a brewery.

@JeremyArnold31: The incompetence of the NL has been known for a while. It seems that out of all parties, they’re the most responsible for even being aware of the support of the potential finalists 🤯🤯

@CScott____: New Wembley has been a shitshow since it was built. Lunacy to have rail work going on with events planned at the stadium. Such a shame for two clubs that have been fcked for years. Another poor showing footballing hierarchy.

@wobblybobenglan: I must have been to 500+ Oldham games and dunno if I will get a ticket, there are prawn sandwich folk there who will watch us once and couldn’t care less about the club.

@Aidan_Gamble: This nonsense is why the clamour for three up won’t happen. The teams are now professional but the league is still amateur.

@GarethStoten: @TheVanaramaNL @FA @wembleystadium @MayorofLondon @SadiqKhan Let’s be absolutely clear. The must be resignations at from @TheVanaramaNL including board members – this is a failure of such magnitude that nothing else would be appropriate. That said who placed this restriction?

@MarkCorney: Total mismanagement by the @TheVanaramaNL. No respect for the teams that compete in the league. They clearly can’t match the expectation that some the clubs have. Maybe it’s time for the @EFL to start a Div 3 and elect clubs in.

@FanHubHatter: The cynic in my says tfl chose that weekend for the engineering works assuming reduced capacity would be fine. They’d never have shut it for the cup final or the EFL playoff finals.

@gpdixon: It’s down to the National League …they knew months ago. The clubs found out on Thursday. Any time to make changes has been lost because of the National League. They are a disgrace. PS will people stop making this political. YOU are a disgrace.

@simoncooper99: Wembley are going to say it’s too late to change logistics, stewards, security catering etc

@takayoko9: Not surprised they knew about it but didn’t say anything. I booked rail travel thinking, no problem buying a ticket, it holds 90’000. So many people spent a lot of money and won’t get a ticket. We can’t let this go without a full enquiry to how they have shafted all fans.

@BMonster61: EFL don’t worry about introducing 3 down 3 up just invite the NL clubs to join a new League 3 under the EFL umbrella! NL management not fit for purpose 😕

@ArronBenstead: They’ve 100% gambled on a smaller crowd. Which would mean less stadium hire cost and less steward/policing cost… They need to change this and let the fans fill the ground as much as possible… Two massive clubs who should both be in the EFL

@OldShuggy: Would love to see both clubs hijack the Final and play it elsewhere. Fans want the Wembley experience but moreso want to see their boys in the Final.

@LukeHOAFC: Waited 31 years for this and its an absolute farce from the footballing bodies