Question of the day - can West Brom count?

The answer, sadly, is no. The eagle eyed among you may have noticed this from its official website.

“Eleven games are set to be ‘category A’ and priced at £40 adults, £25 seniors and £20 seniors, young adults and students, and £15 juniors (under 16s).”

Unsurprisingly, United’s trip to the Hawthorns on Tuesday January 27 is a category A game.

So why are the 2,400 tickets we’ve got priced at £42 for adults?

Even more intriguingly, Newcastle are the next team after United to play West Brom and it’s a category A fixture and – guess how much they are paying.

Yep, that’s right, £40.

Sure, you can argue it’s only £2, but, as anyone who coughed up £35 for Birmingham away games a few years back, £35 as a habit of becoming £40 and then £45 and £49.

Also, why are West Brom/United not offering the concessionary price of £25 to young adults and students?

It’s been allowed for the Southampton game, so why not West Brom?

Anyway, if you would like to apply, executive members have from now until 8am on Monday by calling 0161 868 800 and choosing option 1.

Season ticket holders have 48 hours to apply from 8am on January 7 online or by phone (see above).

It's interesting to note that manutd.com says nothing about season ticket holders having to have attended automatic cup scheme games.

Results will be out on January 12.

Southampton travel guide

Southampton
St Mary's Stadium
FA Cup Round 3
Sunday January 4, kick off 4pm

Tickets
Out of a 32,689-capacity stadium, United got 4,700 tickets.

They cost £30 for adults, £20 for over 65s and for students and £15 for under 16s

All of them have been sold and have been posted out.

Though it's sold out, a fair few spare tickets should be available in pubs around the ground on match day and on United message boards beforehand.

TV
The match will be shown live on Setanta Sports at 4pm and the programme begins at 3pm.

Travel

We recommend: If you can't drive or get a lift, take the official coach down. It might take five hours, but £30 is pretty good compared to the extortionate train fare. But if you are going by train, go back from St Denys station.

Car - £52.22

If you're looking for road directions to the ground using a Sat Nav or a routeplanner, use the postcode SO14 5FP.

The journey takes about four hours and is 236 miles each way, costing £26.11 in petrol, plus £8 if you choose to go on the M6 toll road.

Parking wise, it's similar to Stoke:
There is hardly any parking at the ground. It is recommended that you buy a parking ticket from Southampton in advance by calling 0845 688 9288.

There are no places to park for free near the ground and your car will get towed/a ticket if you park illegally.

You can park in a paid-for car park in Southampton city centre. It will typically cost £5 and it's a 20-minute walk to the ground. Be warned though, you'll spend about an hour getting to the motorway after the game from here.

The best spot to park in is the Marina, which again costs £5, has pubs and food places and is a 10-minute walk to the ground. It's much quicker to reach the motorway from here.

If you get off the M27 at Junction 8, you can either use the free park-and-ride away fans' buses clearly signposted opposite a Tesco supermarket that take you right to the ground.

Or you can get off at the same junction and follow the A3025 to Woolston on the other side of the Itchen Toll Bridge.

There are free parking spots there and it's a 20-minute walk to the stadium

Train - £88.70

There is one direct train to Southampton. The rest are indirect and one delay and you could well be missing the match, but there is a perfectly timed direct train back.

You're looking at a five-hour journey time typically though.

All one-way services cost £44.35. Ask for an off-peak single.

Manchester Piccadilly to Southampton Central

Option 1

Leave Manchester: 08:27

Arrive Southampton: 13: 42

Option 2

Leave Manchester: 08:27

Arrive Reading: 11:40

Leave Reading: 11:50 THIS IS A BUS SERVICE

Arrive Winchester: 13:04

Leave Winchester: 13:11 Arrive Southampton: 13: 36

Option 3
Leave Manchester: 09:20
Arrive London Euston: 12:07
Leave London Euston: 12:07 THIS IS A TUBE SERVICE
Arrive London Victoria: 12:30
Leave London Victoria: 12:47
Arrive Clapham Junction: 12:52
Leave Clapham Junction: 13:03
Arrive Southampton: 15:01

Option 4
Leave Manchester: 09:27
Arrive Birmingham New Street: 10:58
Leave Birmingham New Street: 11:12
Arrive Bristol Temple Meads: 12:37
Leave Bristol Temple Meads 13:10
Arrive Southampton: 15:20

From the station, it's a 30-minute walk to the ground, though there is a shuttle bus that leaves from outside the station.

To walk, turn left out of the station' s southern entrance and walk up Western Esplanade, which becomes Civic Centre Road.

Remain on the Civic Centre Road and walk between the Civic Centre and the Marlands Shopping Centre.

Eventually a crossroads is reached with the Nationwide Building Society on one corner and Lloyds Bank on another.

Cross into New Road and follow this road across a park and past a college. Eventually you will reach a complex road junction with a number of traffic lights.

Cross Kings Way into Northam Road and follow this road for quarter of a mile until you reach the ground on your right.

Southampton Central to Manchester Piccadilly

Option 1
Leave Southampton: 18:25
Arrive Basingstoke: 18:58
Leave Basingstoke: 19:07
Arrive Reading: 19:30
Leave Reading: 19:40
Arrive Birmingham New Street: 21:20
Leave Birmingham New Street: 21:38
Arrive Manchester: 23:13

Option 2
Leave Southampton: 19:15
Arrive Manchester: 23:40

Option 3
Leave Southampton: 20:15
Arrive Coventry: 22:22
Leave Coventry: 22:51
Arrive Rugby: 23:03
Leave Rugby: 23:19
Arrive Manchester: 00:58

St Deny's station is a 20-minute walk from the ground. It won't give you a better way to the stadium than the ones above, but it will give you a decent way back away from the crowds.

Option 1
Leave St Deny's: 18:04
Arrive Southampton Airport Parkway: 18:09
Leave Southampton Airport Parkway: 18:22
Arrive Manchester: 22:40

Option 2
Leave St Deny's: 19:04
Arrive Southampton Airport Parkway: 19:09
Leave Southampton Airport Parkway: 19:22
Arrive Manchester: 23:40

From the stadium to St Deny's station
It's a 25-minute walk. From the North Stand. go through the underpass which brings you out onto Radcliffe Road.

Pass the mosque and the road changes into Mount Pleasant Road. Turn right into Dukes Road and keep walking past the industrial units and Mount Pleasant School.

Turn right onto Dukes Road and go over the Horshoe Bridge which goes over the railway line. Pass the Junction inn and the South Western Arms Pub and you'll reach the station.

Official coach - £30
The club is running coaches leaving from the W2 car park at Old Trafford at 9.30am and is due to return by 11pm. Places cost £30 per person. Book here.

Public coach - £62.50
National Express runs services from Manchester to Southampton with a change in Birmingham, but you're looking at a journey of more than eight hours each way. It costs £62.50 return.

Leave Chorlton Street: 07:15
Arrive Birmingham: 10:10
Leave Birmingham: 11:15
Arrive Southampton Coach Station: 15:20

Leave Southampton Coach Station: 18:15
Arrive London: 20:50
Leave London: 22:30
Arrive Chorlton Street: 02:30

There are no Megabus services that fit in with the match.

Plane - £200
You can fly direct from Manchester to Southampton and back on flybe. There are flights there on the day of the game, but you can only fly back the day after.

Manchester to Southampton
Sunday
Leave: 14:00
Arrive: 15:00
One-way price: £85.64

You can get a train from Southampton Airport Parkway to St Deny's, which takes six minutes.

Southampton to Manchester
Monday
Leave: 06:50
Arrive: 08:00
One-way price: £113.34

Leave: 08:30
Arrive: 09:35
One-way price: £96.24

Leave: 11:10
Arrive: 12:10
One-way price: £75.34

Leave: 15:25
Arrive: 16.30
One-way price: £75.34

Stoke 0-1 United

Highlights

Our end

Police issue Stoke travel guidance

The following was issued by Staffordshire Police today:

Football fans travelling to Stoke City’s Britannia Stadium this Boxing Day, Friday 26 December, are being urged to allow plenty of time for their journey.

The televised match gets underway at the Britannia Stadium at 12.45pm.

Superintendent Andy Franks, match commander, said: “With no train travel on Boxing Day and another capacity crowd at the Britannia Stadium I would advise all fans to allow plenty of time to travel as we are expecting congestion on all routes around the Britannia Stadium.

“Car drivers may have difficulty finding a suitable parking space near the ground as there is only a limited amount of car parking.

“Fans are reminded that cars parked illegally on grass verges surrounding the football stadium will be towed away.

“I would also ask local motorists to steer clear of the area before and after the match to prevent any delay to their own journey as well as help ease the expected traffic congestion.

“I particularly ask for fans to be patient after the match as the police balance public safety and the maintenance of public order with the need to ease the traffic congestion at the earliest opportunity.

“We know that people want to get back home as soon as possible, this however must be balanced against our other priorities of maintaining order.

“I thank fans in advance for their patience and understanding with regard to this.”

All fans are asked to note that cars parked illegally on grass verges surrounding the football stadium will be towed away with owners having to pay around £150 to get their vehicle back.

Advice on getting to the Britannia Stadium can be found by visiting www.staffordshire.police.uk/football where a downloadable map and leaflet is available.

Stoke City travel guide

Stoke
Britannia Stadium
Friday, December 26, kick off 12:45pm

Tickets

Stoke’s stadium holds 28,383, United have got 2,800 tickets priced at £35 adults, £24 for over 65s, £20 for under 17s and £17 for under 11s.

All tickets have been sold and you can find out if you have one by checking your online booking history or by calling 0161 868 8000.

Home end tickets are also sold out. Internet touts are charging £262.90 for tickets.

TV
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports 1. The programme starts at 12.30pm.

No MUST Chub Club event has been announced yet but we’ll post it here if there is one.

Travel
We recommend: Travel by coach, minibus or car as there is no public transport on Boxing Day.

Car – £15.82
http://www.greenflag.com/routeplanning/
If you’re using a sat nav or a routeplanner, use the postcode ST4 4EG.

The journey takes 55 minutes, which is 48 miles and should cost £7.81 on average in petrol in each direction.

The standard route is south on the M6, exit at junction 16, then take the A500 and the A50.

Parking at the stadium is pretty difficult as, in a similar way to Bolton’s Reebok Stadium it’s in the middle of nowhere, only there are few surrounding streets in which to park.

So you can either

1. Park in the city centre and do the 15-minute walk to and from the stadium

2. Buy a parking pass for £4 from Stoke for the South and Trent Car Parks in advance on 0871 663 2007.

You can’t pay for parking on the day. Access these car parks via the A50 or Trentham Road.

3. Park on the Power League complex in between the stadium and the academy tent.

There are only a few hundred places, priced at £4, so arrive early. It’s a pay and display car park.

4. Park at Heron Cross School and Bowling Club. There a few hundred spaces priced at £1.50.

It is on the other side of the A50 to the stadium, next to the footbridge.

To get to it, pass the stadium on your right and come off at the slip road signposted Heron Cross. Turn left and you will come to some traffic lights.

At those lights, turn left (following signs for Stoke) and half a mile down the road you can turn right into this car park.

Train
There are no trains running on the day of the game

Club coach
United are running coaches to the game with places priced at £17 per person. They leave from the W2 car park at 9.45am and expect to be back at 4.45pm. To book click here.

Other coaches

Red Issue/UWS will be running a coach to the game, with places available to be booked through the usual channels.

Neither Megabus or National Express run services on Boxing Day.

Pubs

Unfortunately, we can’t recommend any pubs because of the likelihood of trouble at this game.

But this might change, as Staffordshire Police are set to issue guidelines for fans in tomorrow.

United crowned world champions!

Amidst all this talk of Japan and Milan…

…let us not forget our domestic commitments over the Christmas period and into the New Year. So here’s a brief housekeeping update:


Stoke in the league on Friday December 26. All tickets have been sold and tickets have been sent out.

There’s no public transport for this game so book your parking tickets from Stoke City in advance by calling 0871 663 2007. Go here for more details about parking.

A full travel guide will be posted on Monday.



Southampton in the FA Cup on Sunday January 4. All tickets have been sold and tickets have been sent out.

A full travel guide will be posted on Tuesday.





Derby in the Carling Cup on Wednesday January 7.

All tickets have been sold and tickets will be sent out shortly.

A full travel guide will be posted after Christmas.




Bolton in the league on Saturday January 17.

United have got 2,800 tickets for this game, costing £27 for adults, £21 for over 65s and £13 for under 16s.

Box holders and executive members can apply by post or by calling 0161 868 800 (option 1) from 8am on Monday through to 8pm on Boxing Day.

Season ticket holders who went to the home cup games against Middlesbrough, QPR, Villareal, Celtic and Blackburn can apply online here by phone from 8am on December 29 until 8am on December 31.

Results will be out on January 2. A travel guide will be posted in the New Year.