National League sponsor Vanarama donates £20,000 to play-off finalists after ticket complaints

West Ham's London Stadium is hosting the National League play-off final for the first time

The sponsor of the National League has donated £20,000 to play-off finalists Grimsby and Solihull Moors after complaints about ticket pricing.

Adult tickets for Sunday's match at the London Stadium have been priced at between £40 and £45.

Vanarama, which is not involved in the pricing, says the money given to clubs is to "help with their fans' travel and to bring down costs for kids tickets".

The National League said: "We don't always get everything right."

In a statement issued on Wednesday, it added: "We make every decision in the best interest of our clubs and the competition and we hope that fans will understand the challenge of balancing, securing a showpiece venue and the consequent costs involved with doing that.

"While we were able to keep the base price tickets lower than last season and that of under-16's, we do acknowledge that there is a premium on the higher ticket prices and that the lower priced tickets sold out quickly."

Last season, adult tickets for the final at Bristol City's Ashton Gate were £41, with attendance limited because of Covid-19 restrictions.

As of Tuesday, supporters had raised £15,000 to help Grimsby fans afford the trip.

Vanarama, the league's sponsor since 2014, said on Twitter: "As title sponsor it's our intention always to have a positive impact on the league, its clubs and the fans. We are in constant contact with the league but unfortunately have no say over venue and pricing.

"We're speaking to the league about doing more to listen to and understand the fans to avoid this happening again."

The National League had a problem this season in finding an available venue large enough to accommodate a potential 50,000 crowd, with Wrexham and Notts County among the sides that could have made the final.

The London Stadium fitted that criteria, although it was pointed out all six clubs who were in the play-offs were from the Midlands or the north.

"It is a stadium with world class facilities, and we believe it'll stage a brilliant final on Sunday," added the National League statement, which also praised the "incredible support from Vanarama".

Solihull Moors are aiming to reach the Football League for the first time while Grimsby, who came through a thrilling semi-final with a 5-4 victory at Wrexham, are aiming to return at the first attempt following their relegation from League Two last season.