Newport County announce extra seating for FA Cup clash with Manchester United
Newport County has confirmed they will build a new temporary stand to ensure an extra 1,000 fans can attend their huge FA Cup clash against Manchester United.
The Exlies confirmed the news after they beat Eastleigh 3-1 in a third round replay on Tuesday night to set up the match against Premier League opponents, earning the club around £400,000.
Construction of the extra seating in the North Stand will start on Wednesday afternoon, with the club saying it will be installed in time for their League Two match against Wrexham on Saturday (January 20).
In a statement, Newport County said: "While the additional ticket sales will only just cover the costs of erecting the stand for the two games, the club felt it was important to offer as many people as possible from the local community the opportunity to sample big game football at Rodney Parade – and help build momentum for the future."
The move brings the capacity at Rodney Parade to 9,000.
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Some 400 extra seats will also be added to the away end "to meet the FA’s allocation guidelines" for the match against Erik ten Hag's side on Sunday, January 28, according to the club.
The additional away capacity will also be in place for league matches against Wrexham, Swindon and Notts County to cover costs.
Manchester United have won the FA Cup 12 times - a feat only bettered by Arsenal's 14 victories - and have reached the final 21 times.
The Red Devils are the only club to appear in the tournament's final in every decade since the Second World War.
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They currently sit seventh in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Newport are 17th in League Two.
Tickets for the extra seats in the North Stand will go on sale at 10am on Wednesday.