EFL Issue Safety Statement Ahead Of Play-Off Final

Following the terror attack in Manchester last night, fears about the safety of fans at this weekend's Wembley finals have understandably come to the fore.

The home of football is expected to reach a full capacity of 90,000 for both the FA Cup final on Saturday and Reading's Championship play-off final on Bank Holiday Monday, whilst the League Two play-off final will also be held on Sunday. With this in mind, the EFL have issued the following statement:

The thoughts and prayers of everyone associated with the EFL and its 72 Clubs are with all those affected by last night’s terrible events in Manchester.

The EFL is fully aware of the security issues that football and other sporting events currently face and whilst there have been no specific threats in this country, our Security Advisor will be liaising with Wembley Stadium, the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) and the Metropolitan Police to ensure the arrangements in place provide a safe and secure environment for all supporters attending this weekend’s Play-Off Final matches.

The safety of fans remains our highest priority. The EFL takes security issues extremely seriously and we would urge all supporters planning to be at Wembley Stadium to be vigilant of their surroundings at all times, stay alert and not be alarmed.

In addition, the EFL have also written a message to fans travelling to the play-off final:

"The safety of supporters is of paramount importance and we will be implementing an enhanced security operation in collaboration with Wembley Stadium, the Metropolitan Police and the local authorities for this weekend's Sky Bet EFL Play-Offs.

All supporters attending either the Sky Bet League League Two or Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final on Sunday 28th and Monday 29th May respectively, are advised to arrive as early as possible to allow appropriate time for security searches upon entrance to Wembley Stadium.

We strongly advise that all supporters arrive at the stadium no later than one hour prior to kick-off and we encourage spectators to not bring any bags or unnecessary items with them."

Please do take heed of this advice and be sure to take extra caution when travelling to Wembley on Monday. Of course the thoughts of all us here at The Tilehurst End are with anyone impacted by the attack in Manchester. It has been confirmed that a minute’s silence will be observed prior to kick-off, whilst players and match officials will wear black armbands to commemorate those who tragically lost their lives.