Supposedly football is always about the fans, and what they mean to their various clubs, but when you really get down to it, it’s the fans who are the ones that are often treated appallingly.
And so it is with the ticketing fiasco that is threatening to cast a cloud over the silver lining that the Carabao Cup final could represent.
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It’s believed that when Tottenham and Manchester City do battle at the end of the month, they will do so in the presence of 8,000 supporters.
The game could be a watershed moment in the fight against Covid-19 as, if all goes well, it could pave the way for supporters to be back in stadiums for the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign.
However, nothing is ever as straightforward as it seems.
According to the Daily Telegraph, both sides still don’t have a clue as to how the ticketing is supposed to work, and supporters groups are up in arms at the lack of information and help from the Football Association.
“The opportunity for supporters to watch their team in a Cup Final at Wembley is, on the face of it, great news,” a spokesperson for the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust said, cited by the Daily Telegraph.
“However, the devil will be in the detail. We know Spurs fans will have many questions about the announcement. And we would like to provide answers. But we can’t.
“Because none of the decision makers have consulted with or even spoken to supporter groups at either competing club, or to the national fan organisation.
“This not only displays a complete disregard for the fans, it risks undermining the confidence needed in how the event is being conducted.
“We are now focussed on getting hard facts about exactly what is being planned.”
The importance of having supporters at the final can’t be overstated, but with less than three weeks to go, the authorities need to get their finger out.
Will the spuds be able to fill the 4000 allowance, probably not.