David Beckham is to make his first competitive start for England for two years tonight as England take on tiny Andorra.
But fans have been struggling to get to the game - which kicks of at 8.15pm British time - due to a London Underground strike.
London Underground workers began a 48-hour strike last night, throwing travel plans for this evening’s final game of the season at Wembley into chaos.
England had sold 62,000 tickets for the match, but only half are expected to turn up.
The Metropolitian Police had tried to get the game played behind closed doors, but the FA feared that would have ruined England's bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.
Andorra, which is sandwiched between France and Spain, is the sixth smallest nation in Europe, behind the Vatican City, San Marino, Monaco, Malta, and Liechtenstein. It is about the same size as England's Isle of Wight.
Andorra have never won away from home, and there's no chance of them ending that record against England at Wembley - a stadium which is capable of holding more people than the entire population of Andorra, which is 88,000.
An England victory would make it seven wins out of seven in 2010 World Cup Qualifying, Group Six, and would mean they will need just three points from their remaining three games to be assured of qualification.
Becks is back - but the fans won't make it to Wembley
by NEIL ASHTON
10th June 2009
Daily Mail
2010 World Cup Qualifier, Group Six
VS
David Beckham is set to make his first competitive start for England in two years against Andorra tonight but there may not be many fans at Wembley to see it.
A Tube strike is set to leave up to 60,000 seats empty when the former England captain, who has spent much of Fabio Capello’s reign on the bench, begins the World Cup qualifier in the absence of the suspended Gareth Barry.
Gary Neville, his former team-mate at Manchester United, should also earn a recall, with Glen Johnson one yellow card away from a ban and the Wembley clash against Croatia looming in September.
Old pals’ act: Steven Gerrard (left) and David Beckham at England training
England’s charge towards qualification for next year’s finals in South Africa should
continue but the FA stand to lose more than £1million after telling supporters they can claim refunds on their tickets if they cannot get to the game because of the strike.
FA chief executive Ian Watmore took the decision following an emergency meeting
yesterday with the Metropolitan Police and Brent Council to decide whether the game could even go ahead.
London Underground workers began a 48-hour strike last night, throwing travel plans for this evening’s final game of the season at Wembley into chaos.
England had sold 62,000 tickets, but only half of the holders are expected to turn up.
It is a major embarrassment to the FA, who will honour England’s 1966 World Cup squad when those who didn’t play in the final receive winners’ medals at 10 Downing Street before travelling to the game.
Watmore said: ‘Refunds will be made available to ticket holders who decide not to attend this game because of the Tube strike.
Back in the fold: Becks trains with ex-Manchester United team-mate Gary Neville
‘Since we were alerted to the planned action, we have been working hard to ensure the match goes ahead and that as many supporters as possible can see the
game.
‘We can confirm that the game will not be played behind closed doors and every ticket purchased remains valid. The turnstiles will open earlier, at 5.45pm, to ease the disruption.
‘However, due to the industrial action, travelling to and from the game is going to be very difficult and we are disappointed that England supporters are being inconvenienced in this way.
‘We recommend that supporters plan to travel to Wembley as early as possible and
prepare for a disrupted journey. We are advised that no additional transport will be
available.
‘The journey home will be particularly difficult.
‘I would like to thank the England fans for their continued support, it is always
greatly appreciated.’
Fans will have to wait for details to be posted on the official website before they can apply for a refund. Tickets ranged from £29 to £58.50 for the game.
10 THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT ANDORRA
1) Andorra have only been competing in international football since 1996.
2) There are only 42 eligible Andorran footballers to pick for the national team. The other 129 players registered are foreign.
3) The current team is the worst Andorra team in history, ranked at 196th in the world between Aruba and Dominica.
4) The state of Andorra was founded 1,200 years ago, when Charlemagne (Charles the Great) rewarded the region's people for fighting the Moors.
5) Andorra was legally at war with Germany until 1958. The country declared war in World War I but was missed off the Treaty of Versailles.
6) Andorra, at 180 square miles, is slightly larger than the Isle of Wight.
7) 11 million tourists visit the tax haven annually, most of them to try out some of the 176 ski slopes, which cover 7,100 acres.
8 ) Andorrans have the longest life expectancy on earth, at more than 83 years and six months. In Britain, it is 78.
9) Andorra are the dirtiest team in Europe, receiving Europe's highest number of bookings and sendings-off in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup - 34 yellows and 3 reds.
10) A crowd of just 200 watched Andorra record their one and only competitive victory - the 1-0 win against Macedonia in 2004.
dailymail.co.uk
But fans have been struggling to get to the game - which kicks of at 8.15pm British time - due to a London Underground strike.
London Underground workers began a 48-hour strike last night, throwing travel plans for this evening’s final game of the season at Wembley into chaos.
England had sold 62,000 tickets for the match, but only half are expected to turn up.
The Metropolitian Police had tried to get the game played behind closed doors, but the FA feared that would have ruined England's bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.
Andorra, which is sandwiched between France and Spain, is the sixth smallest nation in Europe, behind the Vatican City, San Marino, Monaco, Malta, and Liechtenstein. It is about the same size as England's Isle of Wight.
Andorra have never won away from home, and there's no chance of them ending that record against England at Wembley - a stadium which is capable of holding more people than the entire population of Andorra, which is 88,000.
An England victory would make it seven wins out of seven in 2010 World Cup Qualifying, Group Six, and would mean they will need just three points from their remaining three games to be assured of qualification.
Becks is back - but the fans won't make it to Wembley
by NEIL ASHTON
10th June 2009
Daily Mail
2010 World Cup Qualifier, Group Six
David Beckham is set to make his first competitive start for England in two years against Andorra tonight but there may not be many fans at Wembley to see it.
A Tube strike is set to leave up to 60,000 seats empty when the former England captain, who has spent much of Fabio Capello’s reign on the bench, begins the World Cup qualifier in the absence of the suspended Gareth Barry.
Gary Neville, his former team-mate at Manchester United, should also earn a recall, with Glen Johnson one yellow card away from a ban and the Wembley clash against Croatia looming in September.
Old pals’ act: Steven Gerrard (left) and David Beckham at England training
England’s charge towards qualification for next year’s finals in South Africa should
continue but the FA stand to lose more than £1million after telling supporters they can claim refunds on their tickets if they cannot get to the game because of the strike.
FA chief executive Ian Watmore took the decision following an emergency meeting
yesterday with the Metropolitan Police and Brent Council to decide whether the game could even go ahead.
London Underground workers began a 48-hour strike last night, throwing travel plans for this evening’s final game of the season at Wembley into chaos.
England had sold 62,000 tickets, but only half of the holders are expected to turn up.
It is a major embarrassment to the FA, who will honour England’s 1966 World Cup squad when those who didn’t play in the final receive winners’ medals at 10 Downing Street before travelling to the game.
Watmore said: ‘Refunds will be made available to ticket holders who decide not to attend this game because of the Tube strike.
Back in the fold: Becks trains with ex-Manchester United team-mate Gary Neville
‘Since we were alerted to the planned action, we have been working hard to ensure the match goes ahead and that as many supporters as possible can see the
game.
‘We can confirm that the game will not be played behind closed doors and every ticket purchased remains valid. The turnstiles will open earlier, at 5.45pm, to ease the disruption.
‘However, due to the industrial action, travelling to and from the game is going to be very difficult and we are disappointed that England supporters are being inconvenienced in this way.
‘We recommend that supporters plan to travel to Wembley as early as possible and
prepare for a disrupted journey. We are advised that no additional transport will be
available.
‘The journey home will be particularly difficult.
‘I would like to thank the England fans for their continued support, it is always
greatly appreciated.’
Fans will have to wait for details to be posted on the official website before they can apply for a refund. Tickets ranged from £29 to £58.50 for the game.
10 THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT ANDORRA
1) Andorra have only been competing in international football since 1996.
2) There are only 42 eligible Andorran footballers to pick for the national team. The other 129 players registered are foreign.
3) The current team is the worst Andorra team in history, ranked at 196th in the world between Aruba and Dominica.
4) The state of Andorra was founded 1,200 years ago, when Charlemagne (Charles the Great) rewarded the region's people for fighting the Moors.
5) Andorra was legally at war with Germany until 1958. The country declared war in World War I but was missed off the Treaty of Versailles.
6) Andorra, at 180 square miles, is slightly larger than the Isle of Wight.
7) 11 million tourists visit the tax haven annually, most of them to try out some of the 176 ski slopes, which cover 7,100 acres.
8 ) Andorrans have the longest life expectancy on earth, at more than 83 years and six months. In Britain, it is 78.
9) Andorra are the dirtiest team in Europe, receiving Europe's highest number of bookings and sendings-off in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup - 34 yellows and 3 reds.
10) A crowd of just 200 watched Andorra record their one and only competitive victory - the 1-0 win against Macedonia in 2004.
dailymail.co.uk