Empty seats spotted at Fulham as fans boycott FA Cup clash against Newcastle

EMPTY seats were spotted at Craven Cottage as fans boycotted their FA Cup clash with Newcastle over ticket prices.

The cheapest adult ticket for Saturday’s 7pm kickoff was priced at £40, which was also the case for Wednesday’s 1-0 Carabao Cup semi-final defeat against Liverpool.

Reuters

Pockets of empty seats were spotted inside the stadium[/caption]

ITV

Corners of the stadium seemed particularly empty[/caption]

ITV

There was still a significant number of fans in the ground[/caption]

Fulham fans posted screen grabs yesterday showing that many seats had failed to sell

Ahead of the Cottagers’ 2-0 defeat, the Fulham Supporters Trust wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter): “We are disappointed with some aspects of the pricing for our FA Cup game v Newcastle, not least no guaranteed window for season ticket holders.

“After encouraging changes to ticketing arrangements for our cup game v Liverpool, this is a step back. #AffordableFulham.”

While the Trust itself has not called for a boycott of the game, many fans announced their intention to boycott before kick off under the #AffordableFulham hashtag.

And it would appear plenty of fans followed through with a number of empty seats dotted around the ground.

Despite a selection of empty pockets there is little to suggest that the stadium is half full as some fans had suggested online.

Fulham announced the official attendance as 18,960.

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One fan tweeted: “My estimation is that less than 50% of seats have been sold for Saturday evening. Stay strong Fulham supporters as this will send a clear message to those who believe they run OUR club. #boycottFulham #affordableFulham.”

Another wrote about the boycott: “A powerful reminder that our fans are frustrated by the lack of reciprocal loyalty shown by the Club in some key pricing decisions, particularly towards season ticket holders.

“It’ll be difficult, but I’m staying away on Saturday, because we deserve a better deal. #AffordableFulham.”

While Fulham have said that they are satisfied with the number of tickets sold for the game, they declined to comment on the suggestion of a boycott.

The Newcastle United Supporters Club also took to X to announce their solidarity with Fulham’s suggested boycott, writing: “Fair play to the Fulham fans making a stand tonight.

“We fully support @FulhamSuppTrust and the #AffordableFulham campaign. £40 for a Saturday night game on TV is crazy and takes advantage of supporters.”