SWANSEA CITY have not given up hope of putting an extra 1,000 FA Cup tickets on sale after a day of confusion at the Vetch Field. Thousands of Swans supporters braved heavy rain yesterday to make next Wednesday’s third-round replay with Premiership high-fliers West Ham United a sell-out. But many fans – some of whom had been queuing since Wednesday night – were left disappointed as Swansea City Council safety officers cut ground capacity to 11,071.

CUP FEVER: Swansea City fans form long queues outside the Vetch Field for tickets to next week's FA Cup replay against West Ham

Club officials will today try to get the capacity increased to the 12,000 mark by meeting safety conditions on the North Bank and East Terrace. West Ham have taken their full allocation of 2,500 tickets.

Swansea chief executive Peter Day said, "We spoke to the local safety committee in December and felt that a figure of 12,500 had been agreed.

“That was not the case. But we are hoping to accommodate extra people by satisfying certain criteria.

“I know some people have been disappointed but I think they have recognised the fact that we have tried to accommodate everyone.”

Using priority vouchers handed out with programmes at Tuesday’s Auto Windscreens Shield game with Gillingham, fans were hoping to get a number of tickets each.

However, a handful of vouchers counted for nothing as fans were limited to one ticket each.

Richard Davies, of Sandfields, Port Talbot, said, “I queued up with four vouchers given to me by friends who were in work and unable to queue.

“I was told I would get one ticket no matter how many vouchers I had.

“I couldn’t convince the administrators that my friends had been at the Gillingham game and were faithful Swans supporters.”

Fellow fan Dave Roberts said, “This is not a good way to treat loyal fans. We were told one thing but, on the day tickets were handed out, something completely different happened.”

Swansea chairman Steve Hamer said the club would launch an inquiry into the way the tickets were distributed.

He said, “This game has crept up on us and caught us off guard.

“These are problems we have to address and we can’t run away from them.”

SWANSEA CITY chairman Steve Hamer today ordered an internal inquiry into the West Ham FA Cup tickets fiasco.

The move came as hundreds of angry fans queued from 10pm last night for tickets for next week's game. They claimed the way tickets were being distributed was a total debacle.

Mr Hamer reacted after club chief executive Peter Day claimed capacity at The Vetch had been reduced from 12,500 to just over 11,000 for next Wednesday's game. Swansea Council public safety chief John Spence responded by saying the current ground safety certificate was for 11,071 spectators.

The news infuriated supporters and season ticket holders who expecting two tickets were told they could only have one. Mr Hamer said some of the club's most loyal fans may miss out in the scramble for tickets.

He said: "As a club we have been dormant for four years. This game has crept up on us and we have been caught off guard. We will hold our own internal inquiry. These are problems we have got to address. We can't run away from them. We have created a problem of our own making."

Mr Day said: "We are seeking urgent talks with the safety committee to clarify the issue of ground capacity. Our understanding is that in December they wrote to confirm a figure of 12,500.

"We feel we have carried out all the things they have asked for and we understood they were quite happy.

"Because of what they are now saying we are having to work to a figure of 11,000.

"As to the issue of tickets, it does say on the voucher that it does not guarantee a ticket but gives priority."

John Spence, who chairs the local Safety at Sports Grounds Committee, said an increase in ground capacity was sanctioned last summer and that figure was 11,071. The figure was confirmed in a letter to the club as recently as December 4, he said.

"There is a general on-going discussion as to what else could be done to increase capacity," he said.

"That would depend on a range of issues including stewardship and the club's ability to manage safety issues. "In order to be helpful they were given an indication of what the potential capacity could go up to. If they had wished to pursue it they would have had to contact officers further."

SWANSEA City today reacted to their first home defeat in four months by banning all talk of West Ham until Saturday night.

Manager John Hollins is determined that his players must focus on one objective — winning at Exeter when the club returns to the chase for Third Division promotion points at the weekend.

‘‘We’ve got to forget West Ham. It’s not the most important game this week and I’m fed up talking about it,’’ he admitted after Gillingham’s 1-0 triumph in the Auto Windscreens Shield last night.

The second-round match drew more than 5,000 Cup voucher seekers to Vetch Field to underline the pulling power of the FA Cup, but Hollins has only one thing on his mind.

‘‘Exeter is the only match that matters. All the players know it and I’m certain we will all be up for it,’’ he added. Hollins refused to use the absence of five players for a variety of reasons and tiredness after a breathtaking performance at Upton Park as excuses for last night’s fade-out.

‘‘We did a lot of things right against Gillingham. We started brightly and had scoring chances to get a hold on the game, especially in the first half. ‘‘Gillingham were stronger after the interval but there were lessons for my players. What it does do is impress on the ones who have not been in the side how much you need game practice and fitness, how strong you have to be to compete at this level,’’ he said.

Last night Swansea rested Martin Thomas, Nick Cusack, Michael Howard, Stuart Roberts, who was used as a second-half substitute, and Jason Smith who had a stomach upset anyway. All bar the suspended Howard are expect to return for the trip to Exeter where Swansea will be hoping to extend an eight-match unbeaten League record stretching back to October 31.

Hollins will also be hoping for a return to the encouragement and support his players had at Upton Park following Centre Stand barracking last night directed at some of his players. ‘‘Winning is everything to supporters, but some fans were shouting at individuals and we don’t need that. The players want encouragement. ‘‘You will never hear me calling anyone an idiot. Believe me, my players are working hard and are doing their best.

‘‘I know people pay their money and are allowed to shout but I would urge them to support and encourage in the fantastic way they have been doing recently,’’ said Hollins.

In order to ease possible congestion as cup fever continues to grip the city, the club are opening the Williams Street turnstiles from 10am tomorrow for North Bank voucher holders only.

Swansea City players have been told to shelve all thoughts of future FA Cup exploits when they meet Gillingham in another knockout competition at the Vetch Field tonight.

Manager John Hollins wants total concentration for the second-round tie in the Auto Windscreens Shield – a competition the West Wales club won at Wembley four years ago.

The Swans held West Ham to a 1-1 FA Cup draw at Upton Park on Saturday. Victory in the replay next Wednesday would earn them a money-spinning home tie against Derby County.

“If you are not careful you can find yourself in cruise control after playing a Premiership club and doing so well against them”, said Hollins. “Meeting another Premiership side in the fourth round is no more than a dream at the moment. But we will be back to reality against Gillingham.

“They are a good, well-organised Second Division team. We will have to get at them and stay on top of them if we are to get through to the quarter- finals of the Southern section.”

Hollins is likely to make a number of changes. “I need to look at others in the squad and keep things fresh by keeping everyone in the thick of it.”

SWANSEA City reassured concerned supporters this afternoon that every fan at tonight’s match against Gillingham would receive a Cup voucher. The vouchers, which can be redeemed for a ticket for the FA Cup replay against West Ham tomorrow week, are in the match programme for the Auto Windscreens Shield game.

‘‘Fans have been ringing the club worried that when they get to the ground tonight the programmes will have gone, but I can guarantee that everyone at the Gillingham game will get a voucher,’’ said commercial director Mike Lewis. ‘‘Although the vouchers do not guarantee a Cup ticket, anyone who does have one gets priority,’’ he added.

Most of the programmes for the Gillingham game will be on sale inside the ground and will be limited to two per person. The all-ticket third round replay will have a Vetch Field capacity of 12,500 with West Ham’s allocation of 2,300 on the West terrace and in the Family Stand. With Sky TV choosing the Fulham-Southampton tie in preference to the Swansea game, a Vetch Field sell-out is virtually guaranteed.

The Sky decision will cost the Swans a pay-day worth around £150,000. Meanwhile, the Kids For A Quid scheme will operate in the East Stand, Family Stand, North Bank and East terrace tonight.

SWANSEA City will collect a £150,000 windfall if Sky screen the third-round FA Cup replay against West Ham on Wed-nesday week at Vetch Field.

A live transmission is expected to be confirmed later today with the Swansea tie favo-urite after both clubs agreed to put the replay date back 24 hours.

It is the only FA Cup fixture scheduled for January 13 with all the other unfinished ties, including Cardiff City’s match against Yeovil, set for Tuesday, January 12.

With their share of a 26,000 capacity Upton Park gate likely to be in the region of £250,000, and the incentive of a fourth-round tie against another Premiership side, Derby, awaiting the winners, Swansea could not have wished for a more prosperous start to the New Year.

Swansea’s 45 per cent share of gate receipts from the West Ham replay, certain to attract a crowd of 10,000-12,000 despite TV coverage, should push the club’s FA Cup income towards £500,000.

‘‘It’s wonderful news for the club, the owners and our marvellous supporters who sang their hearts out at Upton Park,’’ said manager John Hollins who was at Wembley yesterday for the fourth-round draw but refused to contemplate the visit of Derby with West Ham presenting a major obstacle.

‘‘Derby at the Vetch sounds very attractive but we’ve got to move West Ham first,’’ said Hollins. ‘‘They won’t want to come to the Vetch but it’s still a mountain to climb,’’ he admitted. ‘‘My immediate reaction is that Derby are a very similar side to West Ham with a lot of foreign players who do not know what the FA Cup is all about and they find scoring goals difficult,’’ he added. One of them, Costa Rican striker Paulo Wanchope, was on trial at QPR when Hollins was reserve team manager.

‘‘I remember him well and enjoyed his skill,’’ said Hollins. Swansea, unbeaten in 12 League and Cup games outside the FAW Premier Cup, are back on the Wembley trail tomorrow night when they face Gillingham at Vetch Field (7.45) in the second round of the Auto Windscreens Shield with Hollins certain his players are not going to be distracted.

‘‘We will be focussed on Gillingham. I know we put a lot into the West Ham game but the players all appreciate what this competition for the lower division clubs means,’’ insisted the manager. The only black spot from an absorbing weekend was a caution Swansea’s goal-scoring man-of-the-match Jason Smith collected for scything down West Ham striker Ian Wright in the 1-1 draw.

It was the defender’s fifth booking of the season and an automatic one-match ban means he misses the visit of Cambridge on January 16.