Southampton supporters sent new travel warning ahead of FA Cup semi-final at Wembley | OneFootball

Southampton will travel to London to take on Man City at Wembley this Saturday

Southampton have a huge clash against Manchester City this week for a place in the FA Cup final.

Tonda Eckert’s side are competing for automatic promotion to the Premier League, but their focus will now turn to the top flight’s league leaders, who they will meet at Wembley Stadium.

The Saints already knocked out Arsenal in the quarter-finals with a huge 2-1 victory at St. Mary’s, along with victories against Doncaster Rovers, Leicester City and Fulham.

This will be the Hampshire outfit’s first outing at Wembley since the 2024 play-off final victory against Leeds United, which secured promotion to the top flight under Russell Martin.

Southampton have not reached the FA Cup final since 2003, where they lost to the Gunners 1-0, though they did also make it to the 2017 EFL Cup final.

The club have not won the competition since 1976 when they beat Manchester United 1-0 in the final.

Southampton fans issued travel warning ahead of Man City clash

Southampton fans have been urged to seek alternative routes to Wembley Stadium due to a limited number of direct trains.

Work is ongoing on the line between Woking and Basingstoke, which has led to calls for fans to seek other avenues to attend the game because of a lack of trains compared to normal.

The chief operating officer of South Western Railway has expressed his concerns regarding potential queues and delays ahead of this weekend’s clash in London.

"We are quite worried there are going to be very long queues and some customers may not be able to get on trains,” said Stuart Meek, via the BBC.

While extra trains are being deployed for what is expected to be a busy weekend of action in the city due to the London marathon also taking place, he believes that delays are still likely to occur.

The engineering work was reportedly planned years in advance, making this an unfortunate bit of timing for Southampton fans.

Meek clarified his biggest concern being the return journey home, particularly at Waterloo.

"The main problem is going to be the return from Waterloo in the evening – that will also depend on any extra time or penalties because that will delay fans getting to Waterloo,” he added.

The club issued a warning to fans ahead of the game, urging supporters to arrive at Wembley stations no later than an hour before kick-off as part of the potential delays.

"Anyone travelling by rail should plan to arrive at Wembley stations no later than one hour prior to kick-off, to allow sufficient time to walk to and enter the stadium,” wrote the club.

"Post-match, you're asked to leave the ground promptly and avoid opting for the last train of the day."

Southampton will go into Saturday’s clash unbeaten in their last 19 games in all competitions, with their last defeat coming on 17 January at home to Hull City.

The Saints are just three points adrift of second place Ipswich Town, although the Tractor Boys also have a game in hand.

Eckert’s side drew their Tuesday night clash against Bristol City, ending their run of eight wins in a row in all competitions.

Southampton will face Man City on 25 April in a 5.15pm kick-off at Wembley Stadium.

Southampton’s Wembley trip will be an occasion to remember

No matter the result on Saturday, fans will remember this run to the semi-finals quite fondly for years to come, particularly in how they beat Arsenal to earn a match at Wembley.

Man City will no doubt go into the game as favourites, particularly as they have now taken the lead in the Premier League table, but Eckert’s side will relish the challenge all the same.

It could even be the first of two visits to the home of the English national team this year if Southampton reach the play-off final next month as well, so it’s an exciting period for the club.

Southampton have already knocked out one team that led the Premier League during their clash this season, so the players and fans will believe they can do so again if they play to their best this weekend.