FOOTBALL: U's fans get ticket warning

Hundreds of supporters have ended up disappointed at missing out on the first-round local derby after all 1,870 tickets available to Oxford were snapped up by 10am on Monday.

U's secretary Mick Brown (pictured) says it is the first time this year that non-season ticket holders had not had the opportunity to get to an all-ticket game.

"I was surprised that we sold out just to season-ticket holders," he said. "All previous games where we have had an all-ticket restriction, they have gone on general sale, but the demand was just so high this time."

And he admitted that even being a season-ticket holder had been no guarantee of getting a ticket for this match.

"We have over 3,000 season ticket holders and we have had to turn some away, who were understandably very disappointed.

Wycombe are taking strict measures to ensure only their own fans get into the home areas on Saturday, only selling tickets to supporters who are on their computer system and have bought a ticket from them in the last two years.

Brown added: "We recognise that a lot of people who wanted to see the game won't be able to and we have been telling people not to travel if they don't have a valid match ticket.

"Nevertheless, we would be pretty naive to think that none will get in, because it's not far away and it's inevitable that some of our fans will have friends who are Wycombe supporters.

Some fans are surprised at the relatively small allocation to Oxford and that it appears Wycombe feel they can sell more than 8,000 tickets to their own supporters when their average gate this season is only 4,701.

But it is more to do with the lay-out of Adams Park.

"It's exactly as it was for us at the Manor Ground," Brown said. "We had no flexibility.

"So I understand the problems Wycombe have. They recognise that our support is magnificent at the moment and they would have loved to have given us more tickets, but with the way their stadium is, it wasn't possible."

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