Sheffield United: Here's how much watching Blades vs Manchester City at Wembley will cost a family of four

Sheffield United booked their place in the capital for this April after a dramatic win over Blackburn Rovers at the quarter-finals at Bramall Lane earlier this month. Paul Heckingbottom’s squad is in with a chance of automatic promotion but also now faces Manchester City at Wembley for the FA Cup semi-finals.

But any Sheffield fans who want to follow the team to London for the game faces paying hundreds of pounds for the day out.

Here, The Star has broken down the average cost of a trip to the capital for a family of four with two adults and two children under 18.

How much are semi-final tickets to see Sheffield United vs Manchester City at Wembley?

First things first – the date of this FA Cup semi-final has not been confirmed. The game could fall on either Saturday, April 22, or Sunday, April 23.

This is because Manchester United, who face their own semi-final match at Wembley that weekend, will be playing in Europe just beforehand and a decision needs to be made on whether they will be given a rest first. If so, their game will be booked for Sunday and Blades vs City will go ahead on Saturday – but nothing is confirmed so far.

But this also means there is one, potentially massive complication to bear in mind though – the London Marathon is also being held on April 23. Whether or not the Blades game falls on Saturday or Sunday, there is huge potential for higher costs and very stressed public transport systems on match day.

Secondly, tickets aren’t on general release yet. When they do, they will be available through the Sheffield United website.

For now, the cheapest tickets to the Wembley semi-final in 2022 began at £30 per adult and £20 for children and Over 65s for Category Four tickets. Who knows if prices will be higher in 2023 after a year of inflation under the cost of living crisis.

Price of tickets to Wembley semi-final for family of four (estimate): £100.

How much to travel to London from Sheffield?

Turning to transport, unless families want to face a journey in the car of up to three hours, plus finding parking and paying fuel, that means supporters are either taking the train, coach or a supporters’ coach to London.

At time of writing (March 27), the cost of two single tickets to London from Sheffield for a family of four with no railcards on April 22 was a minimum of £256.80.

Also on Saturday, the price of a return ticket for coaches to London in time for the game start at an estimated £44.70 for a family of four. Be prepared, however, for the four hour journey in each direction. There are also not many running throughout the day, so if tickets go quickly or there are any delays on the way there, you may be in trouble.

Meanwhile, it is believed that seats on Sheffield United supporters’ coaches to London will cost around £40 per person, bringing this option to an estimated £160 for a family of four. But at least you get a return seat on what could be a festival atmosphere bus journey for the way back (unless it all ends in tears).

And let’s not forget about taking the tube. A single ticket from London’s Zone 1 (including St Pancras and Victoria Coach Station) to Wembley in Zone 4 is £4.95 off peak, and return tickets for a family of four will come to approximately £44.40.

How much is a pint and food at Wembley Stadium?

There’s also the price of wetting your whistle at the game.

At Wembley Stadium, the average price of a pint of Budweiser is £6.15, and a Coke Zero will set you back £4.20.

Food prices vary – but in October 2022, a tweet went viral showing how a burger and chips at the stadium came to £15. Of course, there are plenty of options without going anywhere near the stadium.

But, if you wanted to forego packing a lunch and going all out on food and drink, we’ll bring the estimate for keeping the family fed and watered plus a drink at the stadium to between £60 to £80 for the day.

How much to stay over night in London for the Wembley semi-final?

If you would rather stay overnight in London rather than rushing to catch the four hour coach ride home, there is some bad news. Estimates suggest the price of staying even on the outskirts of London have risen greatly that weekend, and city centre costs are nothing less than eyewatering. The London Marathon taking place the same weekend complicates this even more. As this story by The Star lays out, the cost of staying overnight for the Sheffield United’s chance semi-final has risen by up to 192 per cent.

How much will it cost to go to Wembley for the Sheffield United vs Man City semi final match?

If you’ve been keeping score, the cost for a family of four to visit London on the train with no railcards, then taking the tube to Wembley and making a day of it with food and drink before watching the game from the cheapest seats, then heading home on the same day, amounts to an estimated £481.

And, of course, if Sheffield United beat Man City, they will be booked to do it all again at the FA Cup final… which will also be held at Wembley, so fans best be prepared to make the whole trip again.