Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has voiced his frustration for the fans of both the Reds and Manchester City who face a lengthy struggle to get down to Wembley to support their teams in the upcoming FA Cup semi-final.
The FA declined to move the fixture closer to the North West, despite no direct trains from the region to London because of engineering works on the railway.
Instead, 100 buses will be chartered for the two sets of fans to give 5,000 supporters the chance to make the journey for free.
"I've been thinking a bit more about the fans," said Henderson. "I think in many ways it's their day and not being able to get down to London for different reasons - the cost of that.
"So, in my head, it would make sense obviously change it to a neutral venue - especially with it being two teams from the North West. That's just my opinion. There's obviously complications within that, which I'm sure the FA have got to overcome.
"But looking at the situation as a fan - which is probably the most important thing for me and something that we've learned over the past couple of years how important the fans are to football - that it is really disappointing to see that it's a struggle. It's got to be expensive for them to get there."
Henderson also confessed that he is not a fan of playing semi-finals at Wembley anyway as he wants the famous stadium to be reserved for showpiece finales.
"To be honest - and, again, this my opinion - I love playing at Wembley. I think it's fantastic occasion, a fantastic stadium. But, for me, I would like to keep Wembley for finals anyway," he said. "I think 'play semi-finals at neutral grounds, like it used to be'.
"I think that was quite exciting, quite good and then obviously the final at Wembley to make it extra special. That's just my opinion, that's a different topic. But it's disappointing for the fans and I know the FA have changed kick-off time to try and help.
"They have also put coaches on for the fans to get down, for both Liverpool and City, which hopefully helps. But yes, it's not ideal for the fans for sure."
Source : 90min