Drayton Park could open on matchdays to reduce overcrowding, according to a report in the Islington Gazette.

In the article the Gazette points to the dangerously large crowds that descend on Highbury & Islington every matchday as the reason why Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has had to step in to help.

Highbury East’s councillor Caroline Russell proposed to the mayor that the Govia Thameslink Railway should look to open Drayton Park station, which is only 320 metres away from the Arsenal stadium.

Mr Khan agreed to speak to TfL about the issue.

Councillor Russell spoke of a familiar situation to most Arsenal fans when she said that when travelling by tube on matchdays “the station is so full you can’t get off. You really have to push and force your way out. There’s a need for better transport links.”

With Holloway Road closed on matchdays, as well as the issues with Drayton Park, the strain on the stations that remain open, such as Highbury & Islington, is simply too much. But by widening platforms and putting on more frequent trains, this problem could be reduced.

Sadiq Khan said that ultimately “any changes to infrastructure would be the responsibility of Network Rail.”

It therefore seems as if it’s not going to be straightforward to get any changes implemented, but this at least represents the first step towards a solution.