The FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Manchester City will take place at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, April 16, the Football Association has confirmed.
There are scheduled to be significant travel issues between the north of England and London that weekend, with no trains running from either Liverpool or Manchester and the capital.
The mayors of both cities wrote to the FA earlier this week requesting that the game be moved to a more convenient location for supporters of both teams, pointing out the rising cost of fuel as well as the fact the game is set to take place over a bank holiday weekend.
However, the FA announced on Friday that while the game between the top two teams in the Premier League will still be held at Wembley, they intend to provide 100 free charter buses from Anfield and the Etihad Stadium to the game and back.
In addition, English football s governing body has said it will work with National Highways to ensure that the road networks are running as efficiently as possible .
The FA has confirmed the schedules, broadcast details and travel advice for the 2021-22 and semi-finals.
— The FA (@FA)
A statement on the FA s website read: We recognise the significant challenges that are being faced by some Liverpool and Manchester City supporters, with train services being severely limited due to essential engineering works being carried out over the bank holiday weekend by Network Rail on the West Coast Mainline.
On Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 April there will be no trains running between London Euston and Scotland on the West Coast Mainline. All services on this route will be affected, including between London and the North West. These planned works will also make services operated by Chiltern Railways extremely busy.
Therefore, the FA, Network Rail and Chiltern Railways strongly advise that Liverpool and Manchester City supporters affected should avoid travelling from the North West by train wherever possible and seek alternative travel arrangements.
The statement also said the provision of 100 free buses will ensure that up to 5000 Liverpool and Manchester City supporters will be able to travel to Wembley Stadium free of charge for their semi-final tie. These bus schedules are subject to availability, must be pre-booked, and the clubs will provide more information in due course.
The game is scheduled to kick-off at 3.30pm, while the other semi-final between Chelsea and Crystal Palace will also take place at Wembley on Sunday, April 17, with a 4.30pm kick-off.
