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Exclusive: West Ham fans outraged as FA Cup trip to Man Utd hits their wallets hard
WEST HAM supporters are feeling a lot less magical about the FA Cup with their trip to Old Trafford set to cost them £100 each.
West Ham fans are being asked to buy tickets without knowing the date or time of the FA Cup tie
Adult tickets on general sale for the quarter-final cost up to £55, while travel to the game will almost certainly match that from London.
On top of the fee United are requesting for fans visiting Old Trafford for the cup game, a place on an organised coach will hit £40 for adults who are non-members. Train tickets would be even pricier.
Therefore the potential combined total of just under £100 still doesn't include food, drink and the initial travel to Upton Park for a coach, leaving Hammers supporters outraged.
West Ham sold out their allocation for the fifth-round tie away at Blackburn on Sunday, with 7,200 people buying tickets for Ewood Park.
A 5-1 victory for tickets costing £20 will have been more than satisfactory for the away fans, while United themselves paid the same figure for their trip to Shrewsbury on Monday.
However, prices have sky-rocketed for West Ham followers heading to Old Trafford, with a 9,000 allocation looking unlikely to be filled at the current prices.
Tickets go on sale to West Ham season ticket holders this Saturday, while the priority post deadline is today, although no date for the fixture has been announced.
Due to TV scheduling, the days and kick-off times for all FA Cup quarter-final matches are currently in limbo, leaving fans also unaware if they are able to attend.
The weekend set for the next round means ties could be played anywhere between Friday 11 and Monday 14 March.
While Hammers fans worry over costs for travelling to Old Trafford, a reverse fixture in the Premier League at Upton Park is also on the club's mind.
West Ham's final ever game at the Boleyn Ground could change from Swansea on the penultimate weekend of the season to a midweek clash with United.
FA Cup scheduling and Europa League commitments leave little alternative to find a more imminent slot than the week starting 9 May.
But with the more pressing concern in the FA Cup, as West Ham chase a trophy before heading for the Olympic Stadium, Hammers fans have taken to social media to voice their discontent at United's ticket prices.
@whufc_official @EmiratesFACup @ManUtd How can you put tickets on sale without having a date?Ridiculous!!
— Mark (@kramwkram) February 24, 2016
@whufc_official @EmiratesFACup @ManUtd way too much blackburn was £12 and liverpool £15
— Billy Bamber (@billy_bamber_95) February 24, 2016
@whufc_official @EmiratesFACup @ManUtd Any chance of a date? May surprise you but some of us have lives outside of watching football...
— Kirk (@kirkknowles121) February 24, 2016
@talkSPORTDrive @whufc_official can you tell us why West Ham fans have a deadline to buy their £55 Man U tickets without a date for the game
— John B (@westhamjb) February 24, 2016
£55 for Manchester United away with no date confirmed. @twentys_plenty
— West Ham Photos? (@whufcphotos) February 24, 2016
Over £100 for travel and ticket from London, you are an absolute disgrace @ManUtd.
— West Ham Photos? (@whufcphotos) February 24, 2016