London tube strike will not close Wembley's doors

FA chief executive Ian Watmore has confirmed London's tube strike will not see England's World Cup qualifier against Andorra played behind closed doors. Industrial action is set to grind London to a halt from Tuesday evening with tube workers beginning a 48-hour strike, The strike will have a massive impact on travel, with England's Group Six qualifier among the worst affected. Wembley has always encouraged fans to travel on the tube network, but the FA has refused to alter their plans in the face of what is certain to be major disruption if the strike goes ahead. "The game will kick off at 8.15 as planned," Watmore confirmed. "It will not, repeat not, be played behind closed doors." The FA took the decision last week to halt ticket sales at 70,000 for Wednesday's game and have held discussions with Brent Council and the Metropolitan Police to find the best way to deal with the situation. "Since the threat of a tube strike started last week we have worked very co-operatively with all those parties involved," Watmore added. "I'd like to thank them for their help. "Supporters should plan to travel as early as possible. The turnstiles will now open earlier, at 5.45pm, to limit disruption. "Supporters attending should be prepared that, due to the planned industrial action, travelling in London will not be straightforward, and they should expect a disrupted journey."

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ITN | June 9, 2009

Tags:. .evening. .network. .turnstiles. .disruption. .disrupted