The first contact from Brentford to The FA was after the Fifth Round draw. The FA was asked whether Southampton were within their rights to ask for full payment for the initial offered allocation of tickets. Brentford were informed that Southampton were complying with FA Cup Rules.

The FA understands that it was subsequently agreed between the two clubs that the allocation would be 3,200 tickets on a sale-or-return basis.

There was no further communication from Brentford to The FA until Wednesday 16th February, when the club asked The FA whether they would now be entitled to their full allocation of 15% of the capacity. The FA made it clear that the agreement between the two clubs could not be reversed at this late stage, unless security, segregation, policing, ticketing and other considerations could be overcome.

The FA refutes any accusations by Brentford that it delayed in providing information or clarification of FA Cup Rules, and has consistently made it clear that Southampton have complied with competition rules.

The FA can also clarify that it would have welcomed an agreement reached today between the clubs allowing more Brentford fans to attend the match, but only if the necessary safety, security and ticketing conditions were met. However, it did not give its backing to Brentford’s view that they are entitled to their 15% allocation at this late stage.