Just the ticket!

Latics confident of sell-out

ATHLETIC are already halfway towards selling their ticket allocation for the FA Cup third-round tie at Liverpool.

A steady flow of business is reported at Boundary Park, as season-ticket holders have taken full advantage of the chance to snap up a pair of places for the eagerly-anticipated game at Anfield on Friday, January 6 (8pm kick-off).

At the close of play last night, a total of around 3,000 had been sold — out of a total allowance for Athletic fans of 6,136.

And with an expected stampede for the tickets remaining when they go on open sale on December 29, Athletic are confident of a total sell-out.

Season-ticket holders can guarantee themselves tickets for the game until 1pm tomorrow. Each season-ticket holder is entitled to purchase a maximum of two, on the production of voucher ‘C’. They can either be paid for and picked up in person, or bought over the telephone and collected on Boxing Day.

One Liverpool ticket can be claimed by fans who hold a set of three cup tokens. These were printed in home match-day programmes for the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy ties against Crewe and Bradford, the FA Cup round-one game against Burton and the Southend round-two replay.

Meanwhile, Athletic’s players enjoyed a day off today in readiness for the Boxing Day home clash with Hartlepool United. Manager Paul Dickov will hope to kick-off a trio of festive games with three points in a busy period which could, following a Boundary Park fixture against Notts County on New Year’s Eve and an away game at Chesterfield on Monday, January 2, push Athletic towards the npower League One play-off zone.