SAM Long has lauded the Oxford United faithful for the speed at which tickets for this weekend’s Sky Bet League One play-off final at Wembley have sold.
The number of tickets bought by season ticket holders and Yellows account members surpassed 15,000 on Saturday, with that figure breezing past 25,000 after going on general sale yesterday morning.
United have been allocated 36,533 tickets for the Wembley final against Bolton Wanderers.
READ ALSO: Greg Leigh proud of individual and team contribution as U’s get to Wembley
Long said: “Our fans in previous times when we’ve been to Wembley have sold out, and it’s been an unbelievable atmosphere. I’m sure it’ll be the same this year.
“It stands at more than 25,000 at the moment, and they’ve only just gone on general sale.
“I don’t think the surrounding areas in Oxfordshire will have many people walking round the streets come Saturday. It’s exciting.”
Asked how many requests for tickets he’s had, Long responded: “I’ve had quite a few, but I tried to sort that out as early as possible. I’m just concentrating on this week leading up to the game.
“I’m thoroughly looking forward to Saturday, but there’s obviously a lot of work to be done this week, to prepare ourselves for it.”
Long played a significant part to help the U’s get to Wembley, making an incredible goal line clearance in the semi-final second leg at Peterborough United.
The 29-year-old said: “It was nice to be in the right place at the right time, to anticipate it. Everyone to a man stood up to the task on Wednesday night.
“In the second half, it was backs against the wall. We dug in, and as a group, you can see how far we’ve come.
“It’s come together on the ball, but also off the ball, we’re a team that is set up a lot better now and are harder to beat, and you could see that on Wednesday.
“Everyone put their bodies on the line, and it was an enjoyable win, even though it probably didn’t look like it.”
Chelsea loanee Jamie Cumming also had a key role against the Posh, including a wonder save in stoppage time, to deny a Josh Knight header.
Long said: “He’s had his critics this year, but you can see the quality he does possess.
“The save at the end of the game on Wednesday was incredible. He was probably on the other side of the goal, and how he managed to get there, I don’t know.
“We all dug in and we all want the same thing. If we have to our bodies on the line, then that’s what it takes.
“Jamie’s been really good for us in recent weeks, but hopefully we don’t have to call upon him too much on Saturday because that means we might not have done something right.
“It’s a good thing to know that you’ve got him behind you, but hopefully we don’t need to use him too much.”
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