- The FA denied United's request to give 1,000 tickets to neutral fans
- Their request came after Arsenal did not offer them the full allocation of 9,000.
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Manchester United have failed in their bid to give 1,000 seats to neutrals in this weekend's FA Cup clash against Arsenal.
Old Trafford officials were frustrated when, despite several pleas, they were only given an allocation of 8,000, instead of the 9,000 they were entitled to under competition rules.
The reason behind the reduction was safety concerns, as the seats in question were in an upper tier of the hosts' 60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium.
United had offered to select the recipients and ensure they went to families and children linked to the club's charitable arm. Their reasoning fell on deaf ears and, as a last resort, they complained to the FA.
With just days to go until Sunday's 3pm kick-off, they suggested that the tickets in question be given to emergency services workers and those involved in the FA's grassroots projects.
However, Mail Sport understands they have now been told there is not enough time to make such arrangements.
Manchester United's request for 1,000 tickets to be neutral in the Emirates denied
They were furious and complained to the FA after Arsenal did not give them their full 9,000 away allocation.
The section of the stadium is likely to be empty after its request to hand over tickets to emergency services was refused.
As a result, the affected section of the stadium is now likely to be empty.
Regardless, United will seek their share of the section's gate revenue as if the seats had been sold, with ticket sales split between the FA Cup clubs.
Arsenal's view is that United have been given a 13 per cent allocation, with competition rules stating that “up to 15 per cent” must be offered.
The decision was made by the Safety Advisory Group, which includes club leaders, council leaders and members of the emergency services.
Last season, Liverpool were given a similarly reduced allocation amid concerns over the persistence of their position in the top tier.
