Community Shield - Arsenal (N) | Sun 6th Aug - 16:00

[If I die in the Kippax St]

I think the club will be trying to decide how many blocks to commit to, bearing in mind the majority of blues that have been asked, have said "poke it!". Even the United Charity Shield game in 2011 had a 5th tier block unsold, and that was when Wembley was a novelty. Every Wembley shield game since, we have been 3k-10k unsold! Frankly I cannot see there being more than 15K blues in total at this one, and frankly that's 15K too many bearing in mind what we are trying to achieve in this boycott.

I don’t think there was 15k against Leicester which I attended so my best guess is around 10k and that will largely be southern based fans and tourists sporting cameras

 

[If I die in the Kippax St]

I didnt realise till this morning that our home fixture with Newcastle was an 8pm kick off , imagine it was an away game what the hell is going on away team no way back after the game ,home team fans back home gone midnight ,instead of fans of other teams having a pop at city it's about time match day fans came together and started leaving away ends empty .

Spare a thought for the geordies although I’m travelling from the same neck of the woods. Total piss take so completely understand the boycott stance for the CS. The difference being that the CS is a nothing glorified friendly and the Newcastle game is the real deal competitive fixture with 3 pts at stake. Good luck to those attending the CS I will not be joining you

 

[Roachy]

Moving games to midweek and changing the final date isn’t modernisation - it’s all about greed and the premier league stamping its power over the FA. It’s working perfectly well as it is.

Good shout. If anything the FA Cup traditions need cementing and if possible enhancing.

 

[bluenova]

Given that Arsenal announced ticket prices weeks ago, they've already been on sale a few days, and are likely to sell out...

...Are there any suggestions that the delay our end is because the club are considering options for appeasing the boycotters?

 

[CatMan]

Are you gonna boycott the Newcastle game?

In answer to your question Yes! Not as an organised boycott, because a one person boycott isn't particularly effective, but once again, a game that should have be staged at a sensible time at the weekend has been moved to a ridiculous time in the evening that means I cannot accommodate the 4 hour round trip in light of care commitments I provide to my 85 year old invalid father. If this had been at 3pm Saturday, or even Sunday afternoon then I could go, but alas I cannot now make it as I need to be available to medicate, prepare and put him to bed.

And that, for your information, is what this boycott of the Charity Shield is about. The authorities have to realise that fans have commitments external to football and this constant disregard to that fact is unacceptable and must stop.

 

[Son of Merv]

In answer to your question Yes! Not as an organised boycott, because a one person boycott isn't particularly effective, but once again, a game that should have be staged at a sensible time at the weekend has been moved to a ridiculous time in the evening that means I cannot accommodate the 4 hour round trip in light of care commitments I provide to my 85 year old invalid father. If this had been at 3pm Saturday, or even Sunday afternoon then I could go, but alas I cannot now make it as I need to be available to medicate, prepare and put him to bed.

And that, for your information, is what this boycott of the Charity Shield is about. The authorities have to realise that fans have commitments external to football and this constant disregard to that fact is unacceptable and must stop.

There are people on the scheduling thread stating the 2000 Saturday is more convenient for them, so there are always going to be winners and losers. I've got a mate that has to work Saturdays, so 1230 and 1500 kick offs are a no go for him. He can just about scrape into 1730's but accepts that 'dems da breaks'.

I haven't read anything in the 1894 statement about a fight against PL kick off times, it talks only of this and potential future late CS starts...

Maybe people should be taking their gripes about the entirely separate issue of PL start times into a dedicated thread?

 

[CatMan]

There are people on the scheduling thread stating the 2000 Saturday is more convenient for them, so there are always going to be winners and losers. I've got a mate that has to work Saturdays, so 1230 and 1500 kick offs are a no go for him. He can just about scrape into 1730's but accepts that 'dems da breaks'.

I haven't read anything in the 1894 statement about a fight against PL kick off times, it talks only of this and potential future late CS starts...

Maybe people should be taking their gripes about the entirely separate issue of PL start times into a dedicated thread?

Historically weekend games were 3pm on Saturday, and for almost every other level of football, that is the time for weekend games. Yes there were always midweek games and people accept this too with many just accepting they may not be able to attend. And I realise that TV is driving this, but it (the product) still belongs to the Premier League, and ultimately they decide to sell to whoever may bid and this includes K.O. times. I'm not adverse to K.O. times changing to a 12pm slot on Saturday and maybe 12pm, 2pm and 4pm on a Sunday, but when those games you were hoping to see on a Saturday or perhaps Sunday are now appearing on Friday and Monday at 8pm, then it's beginning to take the piss. And all of this is to satisfy the armchair fan!

 

[jrb]

Are you gonna boycott the Newcastle game?

No, because it’s not in London, and on a Sunday at 4pm.

If the CS was on Sunday at 4pm at Old Trafford, I’d go.

I wonder how many Arsenal fans would make the effort to go to Old Trafford on Sunday at 4pm?

As for the 8pm kick off, I’m not that arsed. As is a Saturday, straight into town after the match for a few beers. Then the 192 home. Either a few more beers or straight to bed. :-)

I’m sure town will be full of Geordies staying over and making a weekend of it. They will love it. We’d do the same if it was the other way around.

 

[RiversideBlue]

Are you gonna boycott the Newcastle game?

Are people also gonna boycott all the 8pm Champions League games because it's unfair on all those away fans not being able to get home after the game? I'm also going to take the chance to take my kids to Wembley for the Charity Shield game. I would say changing kick off times is the price of success but I seem to remember some pretty shocking fixtures changes for TV when we were down in League one (or whatever it was called) as we were the only big team down there. Wasn't Wrexham a 12 noon kick off on boxing day? Don't remember us all compliaing then. In my view, we shouldnt be complaining about Charity Shield. We should still be celebrating the fact that we are winning all these trophies and getting down there so regularly.

 

[Son of Merv]

Historically weekend games were 3pm on Saturday, and for almost every other level of football, that is the time for weekend games. Yes there were always midweek games and people accept this too with many just accepting they may not be able to attend. And I realise that TV is driving this, but it (the product) still belongs to the Premier League, and ultimately they decide to sell to whoever may bid and this includes K.O. times. I'm not adverse to K.O. times changing to a 12pm slot on Saturday and maybe 12pm, 2pm and 4pm on a Sunday, but when those games you were hoping to see on a Saturday or perhaps Sunday are now appearing on Friday and Monday at 8pm, then it's beginning to take the piss. And all of this is to satisfy the armchair fan!

MNF has been a thing since 1992...City v QPR being the first. I think the first Friday game changed for TV was 1983!

 

[Stephen230]

Historically weekend games were 3pm on Saturday, and for almost every other level of football, that is the time for weekend games. Yes there were always midweek games and people accept this too with many just accepting they may not be able to attend. And I realise that TV is driving this, but it (the product) still belongs to the Premier League, and ultimately they decide to sell to whoever may bid and this includes K.O. times. I'm not adverse to K.O. times changing to a 12pm slot on Saturday and maybe 12pm, 2pm and 4pm on a Sunday, but when those games you were hoping to see on a Saturday or perhaps Sunday are now appearing on Friday and Monday at 8pm, then it's beginning to take the piss. And all of this is to satisfy the armchair fan!

I don’t really get this obsession with 3pm. Yeah it was traditional. But even then, for how long? It can’t have been before all clubs had floodlights, which was when, 60s? So if we’re talking first division/ Premier League, it was maybe tradition for 30 odd years or so.

 

[Son of Merv]

Are people also gonna boycott all the 8pm Champions League games because it's unfair on all those away fans not being able to get home after the game? I'm also going to take the chance to take my kids to Wembley for the Charity Shield game. I would say changing kick off times is the price of success but I seem to remember some pretty shocking fixtures changes for TV when we were down in League one (or whatever it was called) as we were the only big team down there. Wasn't Wrexham a 12 noon kick off on boxing day? Don't remember us all compliaing then. In my view, we shouldnt be complaining about Charity Shield. We should still be celebrating the fact that we are winning all these trophies and getting down there so regularly.

That was the ITV Sport days and City wrote a letter of complaint to the EFL about us constantly being picked for TV.

 

[RiversideBlue]

That was the ITV Sport days and City wrote a letter of complaint to the EFL about us constantly being picked for TV.

Suprised we could afford the paper and ink.

 

[Son of Merv]

I don’t really get this obsession with 3pm. Yeah it was traditional. But even then, for how long? It can’t have been before all clubs had floodlights, which was when, 60s? So if we’re talking first division/ Premier League, it was maybe tradition for 30 odd years or so.

It was the 1850 Factories Act which stated that no work could be undertaken after 2pm on a Saturday. Football kicked off at 3pm to give workers an hour to get from work to the match.

 

[Stephen230]

It was the 1850 Factories Act which stated that no work could be undertaken after 2pm on a Saturday. Football kicked off at 3pm to give workers an hour to get from work to the match.

They can’t have kicked off at 3pm in winter without floodlights or it would have been pitch black before the end.

 

[Corky]

They can’t have kicked off at 3pm in winter without floodlights or it would have been pitch black before the end.

It was 2pm in the football league and in the 80s a lot semi-pro teams till did.

 

[Son of Merv]

It was 2pm in the football league and in the 80s a lot semi-pro teams till did.

For the first league in 1888 there was no structure for when matches kicked off, but 3pm was given as a guide rather than a strict time. Games would often get delayed to wait for the crowd to arrive. I seem to remember that what was for years considered to be the first ever League goal actually wasnt because it was discovered by football historians that the match it was scored in didn't kick off until 3:30!

 

[CatMan]

1894's Facebook Post. A good summary of why they are asking fans to boycott.

 

[Stephen230]

It was 2pm in the football league and in the 80s a lot semi-pro teams till did.

I think the Manchester Saturday league do it on a sliding scale. Start off at 3 in August, then go to 2.45, 2.30, 2.15 and 2.00 as the nights draw in. Then back up when it starts getting lighter again.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Are people also gonna boycott all the 8pm Champions League games because it's unfair on all those away fans not being able to get home after the game? I'm also going to take the chance to take my kids to Wembley for the Charity Shield game. I would say changing kick off times is the price of success but I seem to remember some pretty shocking fixtures changes for TV when we were down in League one (or whatever it was called) as we were the only big team down there. Wasn't Wrexham a 12 noon kick off on boxing day? Don't remember us all compliaing then. In my view, we shouldnt be complaining about Charity Shield. We should still be celebrating the fact that we are winning all these trophies and getting down there so regularly.

Champions League and Premier League games you only get 3,000 tickets for away games and there are more fans wanting to go than can get tickets for a meaningful game.
CS we have 30,000 tickets to sell for a meaningless game that there is no reason for it to be kicking off at 4pm on a Sunday.
I hope you and your kids enjoy the day. Just don't complain next year if it is a 7pm kick off. Your chance to protest against that is now.