I got a bit of fan mail from a Manchester City fan that I wanted to share with you.
Starting at the beginning, on Wednesday (25 February 2026) I reported on an announcement from our upcoming FA Cup opponents.
That official announcement from Man City telling Manchester City fans: ‘The Club has received an initial allocation of 4,893 tickets, including 24 wheelchair bays and a number of tickets for ambulant fans. Newcastle United are currently liaising with the Safety Advisory Group and the relevant local authorities. Subject to the outcome of these discussions, the initial allocation of 4893 away tickets may be increased. Further details will be communicated as soon as possible.’
The rules for the FA Cup are that away fans are entitled to 15% of stadium capacity, so for St James’ Park and its 52,000+ capacity, that equates to around 7,500 tickets that Manchester City fans would be entitled to. Clubs such as Luton have got that allocation for FA Cup matches at St James’ Park in the recent past and brought those numbers.
Anyway, I pointed out that for the Carabao Cup their competition rules see away supporters entitled to 10% of stadium capacity and Manchester City fans were allocated 4,893 tickets for their semi-final match at St James’ Park last month, only to send back several blocks of tickets because the Man City supporters didn’t buy them. A third or more of the tickets were returned, with only around 3,200 Manchester City fans inside SJP for that Carabao Cup semi-final game.
In response to this news article I put up on Wednesday, I/we received this below.
It is from Stan the Manchester City fan:
Re: Joe Dixon on City ticket allocation
Exeter City took more fans to The Etihad than did Newcastle United. Exeter City!! Fact.
So Can you inform Joe of that fact.
Why would any sensible fan travel to Newcastle for an FA Cup tie at 8pm which could go to ET and penalties. I live in Barnsley there are no trains back to York, Doncaster or Wakefield that would suit. Furthermore as you know parking at the ground is extremely limited and Q park is fully booked for this fixture. So the fans who will attend will largely be those travelling by supporter coach or those with more money who make a week end of it.
Three pm KO would be much more desirable all round.
Stan
A few…facts
Of course, much of what Stan says is true.
Newcastle United fans, more than any other Premier League fanbase, know the demands of travelling to away matches. Especially when games are moved to the most inconvenient dates/times and no trains back etc etc. The distances Newcastle United fans have to travel season after compared to the likes of Manchester City fans and pretty much any other PL fanbase, perfectly summed up by the fact that last season, the closest away game in the Premier League for Newcastle United fans was an almost 300 miles round trip to the Etihad!
We are just talking facts here though, so here are a few of them.
Having just checked on various Manchester City sites, they are struggling to sell this initial allocation of 4,893 tickets for the FA Cup match at St James’ Park. Manchester City fans saying that they are hoping they can sell most of this initial allocation but certainly won’t be needing any more tickets.
My mate Stan is correct, when declaring that (this season…) ‘Exeter City took more fans to The Etihad than did Newcastle United. Exeter City!! Fact.’
Exeter City received 7,800 tickets for their FA Cup match at the Etihad in January, 15% of capacity as per FA Cup competition rules.
Whilst for the Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday 4 February 2026 at the Etihad, NUFC supporters were allocated 5,359 tickets (10% of capacity as per Carabao Cup competition rules) and 5,359 Newcastle United fans bought those 5,359 tickets (unlike the Manchester City fans who bought only around 3,200, less than two thirds of the tickets they were allocated for the first leg at SJP).
Going back less than two years, Newcastle United fans travelled to the Etihad for an FA Cup tie against Manchester City on 16 March 2024. NUFC supporters getting a ticket allocation of 7,800 (15% of capacity as per FA Cup competition rules) and United took 7,800 fans to the match, quickly selling out the full allocation.
Who knows how many Newcastle United fans would buy away tickets if they were able to?
The tickets for the FA Cup match at Newcastle, are on sale now to any Manchester City fans who are members.
There are more than 100,000 Newcastle United fans who are members and none of them can buy tickets for any away match…