• Premier League

Henry queries Fulham's efforts to counteract Tube strike

ESPN staff
February 10, 2014
Fulham are concerned whether they will have enough safety staff to operate Craven Cottage effectively © PA Photos
Enlarge

John W. Henry has hit out at Fulham for throwing Liverpool's game at Craven Cottage into doubt as a response to plans for London Underground strikes.

The London club released a statement via their official website on Monday which indicated their concern about safety staff being able to get to the ground and "effectively operate it".

Tube staff were planning a 48-hour walkout on Tuesday in protest over possible redundancies from ticket office closures.

However, both the transport unions involved, the RMT and the TSSA, have suspended industrial action on London Underground after reaching a deal and the game will go ahead.

Earlier in February, similar strikes over job cuts disrupted tube services over a two-day period.

Liverpool's principle owner Henry, however, was frustrated by the episode and took to Twitter to vent his anger at Fulham's conduct.

Liverpool were aggrieved they were not formally told the game was in danger of being called off until after Fulham assistant manager Ray Wilkins admitted that was the case in an interview on radio station talkSPORT on Monday morning.

Liverpool have sold their entire ticket allocation and were concerned their supporters would not find out until 3pm on Tuesday, when Fulham had planned to make a further announcement, whether the game would go ahead.

Fulham's initial statement read: "Following a number of enquiries regarding how the potential London Underground strike action may affect Wednesday evening's fixture against Liverpool, the club can confirm that it is currently proceeding on the basis that the game will go ahead.

"However, the club has concerns over the potential impact that the strike may have on the ability of its safety staff to attend the ground in sufficient time and numbers to ensure that it is able to open the ground and effectively operate it, from the time that the gates are open to the public until the departure of all supporters.

"After consulting with the Local Authority and the Metropolitan Police, it has been decided that if the proposed action is still undetermined at 3pm tomorrow (Tuesday), and the club cannot guarantee enough staff are available to attend the ground in sufficient time and numbers, then as a consequence the club would not be able to comply with the terms of its safety certificate and the fixture would be postponed and rescheduled for a future date."

Meanwhile, Manchester United's game with Arsenal at the Emirates on Wednesday is expected to go ahead.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
ESPN staff Close