Tickets blow for South Shields FC fans ahead of FA Vase semi-final

The Mariners are travelling to the Midlands to take on Coleshill Town in the first leg of the semi-final.

They will be backed by more than 300 away supporters, after the club’s allocation of tickets for the game sold out in double-quick time.

Fans had been hoping an additional batch of tickets could become available this week, if Coleshill were unable to sell out the home section.

However, with 1,700 tickets having already been sold for the 2,000-capacity Pack Meadow, that now looks unlikely.

Coleshill tweeted: “Our record attendance is just under 1,000 and we have sold 1,700, including the South Shields allocation, so we are having a final push.”

The club has also called on the people of Coleshill to get behind their team in their bid to topple Shields and reach Wembley.

They added: “Calling all Midlands non-league supporters: let’s get behind Coleshill Town – your support could help beat the northern power house.”

The Mariners’ last away match in the Vase saw them take about 500 supporters all the way to Southampton to watch their team take on Team Solent.

On a thrilling day on the south coast, Shields won 5-2, with supporters enjoying a weekend to remember.

Shields player Barrie Smith feels the fans could make a huge difference again on Saturday.

He said: “The connection we have with the fans is massively important for us.

“They play a huge part, and help us get through games sometimes when it might not be going well.

“Everyone saw the impact they had in Southampton. It was incredible how many people travelled down there. We’ll definitely have a good following on Saturday, and we just want to repay them by getting through to the final.”