Bristol City have announced the ticket information for their trip to West Ham United in December, with a twist that might interest Lincoln City supporters.
The Robins, like most Championship clubs, have a priority system in place to suit demand for this fixture. However, that decision isn’t of great interest to Imps fans. It’s the fact that they have received 2110 tickets for this fixture, which the club have described as a ‘full allocation’, that should be noted.
What’s The Difference?
West Ham have typically allocated away teams 3000 tickets for their home fixtures this season, in keeping with the number they gave in the Premier League last term. Portsmouth received three times that figure for their Carabao Cup game, although that is to be expected for a domestic cup outing.
London rivals Charlton Athletic and Derby County are among the sides to have been allocated the maximum number of tickets already this campaign. However, it is believed the decision to give Michael Skubala’s outfit a lower figure stems from the allocation that the Hammers are set to receive at Ashton Gate on New Year’s Day.
Bank holiday games, particularly those around Christmas, often attract bumper crowds. It’s therefore understandable that the Robins have made the decision to split the Ateyo Stand, which typically houses away fans, in order to give more of their own supporters an opportunity to watch the game. That was also the case at the start of the campaign for their match against Millwall, before Pompey were given the full allocation of 3400 tickets later in August.
This latest ticketing decision appears to be to the detriment of the visiting Robins contingent for the first game between the sides on Saturday 12th December. The theory of the reciprocal allocation was confirmed by Bristol City’s SLO on X, alongside the thinking behind the decision.
In January 2024, the south-west outfit, like Pompey, took a bumper allocation to the London Stadium for their FA Cup 3rd Round tie. After a draw in East London, the Robins caused an upset in the replay, with Tommy Conway scoring in both encounters.
How Could This Affect Lincoln?
Lincoln travel to West Ham on Tuesday 16th February, a game which falls in February half-term for schools in Lincolnshire. That helped to ease the initial disappointment over the midweek scheduling of a game that is likely to be our most in-demand game of the campaign.
However, if the Hammers apply the same thinking for the Bristol City game to our clash in the capital next year, there could be even more Imps supporters missing out. West Ham received just 1311 tickets for the fixture at Sincil Bank in October, which was on the lower end of the spectrum for visiting allocations. It was also the last time that a visiting side were awarded tickets in the Stacey West and GRS Signs Stands.
There was a noticeable section of the North East Stand left empty, which could increase fears of a reduced allocation. Of course, at this stage, this talk is purely speculation. Currently, there is nothing definitive to suggest that we will also fall victim to the same fate as the Robins. It will be interesting to see if West Ham continue this theme of reduced allocations as the season advances to a stage where they will have already faced teams at their own ground.
Imps fans should receive ticket information for this highly anticipated clash in January 2027.
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