Strike could hit Wembley turnout

The FA says it could lose £500,000 if the strike goes ahead

Up to 20,000 tickets for an England World Cup qualifier could remain unsold because of a planned Tube strike.

The Football Association suspended the sale of its remaining tickets for England's match with Andorra at Wembley because of possible disruption.

The RMT union has threatened a 48-hour walkout from 1859 BST on 9 June, which is expected to halt most Tube services.

The FA said it would review its policy for the match on Wednesday 10 June if the strike did not go ahead.

'Prudent suspension'

If the tickets are not sold, the FA has said it could lose more than £500,000 in revenue.

The FA said: "Following the early indication from Transport For London of strike action on London Underground, between 9 and 11 June, a decision has been taken to have a prudent suspension of ticket sales for England v Andorra at Wembley Stadium on 10 June.

"We will be monitoring the situation closely and are hopeful tickets will be made available to purchase again for this match once a decision is reached regarding the Tube strike by the RMT and London Underground."

A Transport for London (TfL) spokesman said: "The strike action planned on London Underground next week by the RMT leadership is completely unnecessary.

"It is based on a wildly unrealistic demand for a 5% pay rise for fewer working hours in the middle of a recession.

"Any decision on next week's game at Wembley is a decision for the FA and we are keeping them fully informed."

The RMT said it was aware of the disruption any strike could have on the game, but said the walkout was still due to go ahead.

The RMT accused TfL of "rank hypocrisy" in rejecting a 5% pay rise request while paying 123 TfL managers more than £100,000 a year.

Other events which could be disrupted by any strike include a Twenty 20 cricket match at Lord's cricket ground and a Britney Spears concert at the O2 Centre.