Ticket mania

HUSBAND and wife John and Janet Greenway from Hinckley were among the first to snap up prized FA Cup tickets for Nuneaton Borough’s bumper cup tie with Middlesbrough on January 7. They were near the front of the queue when tickets went on sale and revealed that, as a courting couple in their teens, they used to stand at the Cock and Bear end. Janet, aged 56, who lives in King George’s Way, Hinckley, said: “He used to drag me out in the cold just to stand and watch the Boro play.” All these years later, they intend to watch the tie in comfort. Her 57-year-old husband, who saw his first game at Manor Park when he was seven, said: “Our son Peter used to be a steward at Manor Park, and our grandson Jamie is 14 and a big Boro fan.” The first allocation of tickets went on sale last week to season ticket holders, Histon voucher holders, Boro Independent Sup-porters Club members, Supporters Trust members and members of the Official Supporters Club. But the mad scramble for tickets took place at Manor Park yesterday, when they went on general release, with a limit of two per person. Postal orders may come into operation on Tuesday, depending on availability and will be sent only to people living 40 miles or more away from the ground. Tickets for the big day cost £20 for adults standing and £15 for concessions. All seats are £25 with no concessions. The game will be fully segregated and the Boro fans will be split into two main sections – Cock and Bear End or Beaumont Road and it is expected to be a 6,000 sell-out. BBC TV cameras will be setting up around the ground to record highlights for the Match of the Day show later that evening.