Colchester United general manager Tim Waddington says demand was always going to far outstrip supply for their glamour FA Cup tie with Tottenham Hotspur.

And he insists that the U’s had to give priority to their “loyal fans” in ensuring they secured tickets for this Saturday’s much-anticipated fourth-round tie.

Colchester’s game against Premier League side Spurs at the Weston Homes Community Stadium is a sell-out, after the final remaining tickets were sold last Friday.

The U’s season-ticket holders were given first priority in securing their seat at the game, followed by those supporters with multi-game packs.

Remaining tickets then went on general online sale last Friday night and were quickly snapped up, with supporters also having to purchase an accompanying ticket for Colchester’s League One home fixture against Chesterfield, on February 16.

Waddington told the Daily Gazette: “There has to be priority and I’m delighted that our loyal fans will be there on Saturday.

“There are some people who are unhappy and we have had some complaints.

“But we could have easily sold the stadium out twice over to Spurs fans alone and demand was always going to outstrip supply for this game.

“It was always going to be season-ticket holders, six and 12-match pack holders and then general sale, in that order.

“The worse-case scenario is that a Colchester fan coming to some of the games would not be able to get a ticket.

“Our season-ticket holders are the bread and butter throughout the year and we have to look after those people.

“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to reward them for their loyalty and commitment.

“And those with six and 12-game season-tickets had a good three-day run at buying their tickets.

“We have models for various ticketing scenarios and I think this game falls into the A+ scenario.

“We’ve looked at what other clubs have charged in a similar situation and I think most fans will understand that this is a once in a decade scenario for the club.

“A lot of people have told us that they’re pleased with the pricing structure we put in place because they realise that it’s a great opportunity to bring in revenue for Colchester United.”

Colchester have been criticised by some for selling the final remaining tickets online last Friday night with little prior warning but Waddington insists it was a fair method.

He said: “On Friday night, we emailed out to people who appeared on our regular buying patterns during the season and if you’d been to two or three home games over the course of the season, you’d have been notified.

“If you’re a Spurs fan, you’d have been watching our website to try and get a ticket and it was important that we forced it through as quickly as possible for our supporters.

“Ticket sales hit an all-time high for us last Friday night – I think we had more online traffic than JobServe.”

Colchester’s game against Spurs this weekend will be their first-ever competitive fixture against top-flight opposition at the Community Stadium since the club moved there, in 2008.

“We want it to be a great day for Colchester United fans coming to back their team,” added Waddington.

“When you get a capacity crowd at the stadium it’s a fabulous place to be and you really feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

“It’s so exciting from the club’s perspective – sales have been unprecedented and it really is a timely shot in the arm for the club.

“It’s great for the club and a real moment in the sunshine.”

For daily build-up to Colchester's big FA Cup tie with Tottenham Hotspur, see Wednesday's Daily Gazette.