Southampton fans face Wembley issue for FA Cup semi-final - MPs getting involved | OneFootball

Saints fans may have some troubles getting to London via train for their clash with Man City...

On April 25, Southampton will have to put their Championship promotion push on hold for one weekend as they head to Wembley Stadium to take on Man City in the FA Cup semi-final.

The Saints are currently riding the crest of a wave right now, and in all competitions they are unbeaten in 18 matches as they have not only risen up the second tier standings into a potential late automatic promotion push, but also on the side have put together an impressive cup run, taking out both Fulham and Arsenal from the top flight.

Having already done their job by winning the league match against Blackburn Rovers 3-0 that they were supposed to partake in next weekend, Tonda Eckert's men have ramped up the pressure on their Championship rivals, knowing that the ball is now in their court next week whilst they prepare to take on a superpower in Man City.

With no home advantage like against Arsenal, it will be a tough task for Southampton to contain Pep Guardiola and his talented squad on the pitch, but off it, there looks to be struggles for the ticket-holders for the Wembley showdown in terms of actually getting to the 90,000-capacity stadium in north London.

Southampton plea issued ahead of Wembley clash with Man City

Southampton have been given a 33,000 share of the tickets at Wembley for next weekend's showdown, and many fans will have been planning to utilise the rail links into London to get to the stadium.

However, a spanner has been thrown into the works, with engineering work set to take place that very weekend on one of the main lines into the capital, which passes through nearby Basingstoke, and as a result buses are set to replace trains for a portion of the planned journeys - further extending the usual time it takes for travel.

That has come at the worst possible time for Saints fans who will be flocking to London to watch Eckert's side take on Man City, and it has led to local Members of Parliament getting involved, imploring the powers-that-be to suspend the work that needs to be done in the Basingstoke area to let fans travel stress-free.

Satvir Kaur - MP for Southampton Test - as well as City Council leader Alex Winning and Saints chief executive Phil Parsons, have joined forces as a trio to make the case for the line to operate as usual - whether it falls upon deaf ears remains to be seen.

"The club has been allocated over 33,000 tickets, with supporters travelling predominantly from Southampton and surrounding areas," the trio wrote, as per the Daily Echo.

"The rail route via Basingstoke is the main and most heavily relied upon connection into London for these journeys.

"The planned closure of this section of line, with buses replacing trains, will cause severe disruption - substantially increasing journey times, and creating significant logistical challenges that risk preventing many supporters from attending the match altogether.

"This semi-final is a hugely significant moment for us in Southampton.

"Opportunities like this are rare, and it is vital that all Saints supporters can travel safely, efficiently, and reliably to support our team.

"We understand that essential maintenance and upgrades need to take place.

"However, given the scale and significance of this event, we request these works be postponed or rescheduled so they do not fall on the same day as the fixture.

"We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter further and to work collaboratively to find a practical solution."

Southampton fans will be far from expectant ahead of Man City clash

Southampton fans have very much had a rollercoaster of a season since their club were relegated from the top flight - they experienced a real downturn in form under Will Still before rising again under Tonda Eckert.

There was definitely misfortune under Still based on their underlying data, but Eckert, having been promoted from the under-21's, has been able to get another level out of his talented squad, and their rapid rise up the table is no fluke.

Next weekend though against Man City is a spectacle in its own right, and whilst some will see it as a distraction, others could see it as a chance to showcase themselves, and if they can pull off a shock and make it to the FA Cup final, then momentum will be on their side going into the final game of the Championship season against Preston North End on May 2.

For fans of the Saints though, just getting to Wembley will be an achievement based on the rail works that will be taking place - there's obviously other options such as the car or coach, but many will be wanting to take the train into London to soak in the festivities - whether Kaur, Winning and Parsons coming together to try and change that will help remains to be seen.