FA Cup Final | Crystal Palace (N) | Sat 17 May 4:30pm

[PistonBlue]

It’s quite simple to understand, basic economics.

Regardless, get the coach instead for £20 and stop moaning.

£20? Are you giving the driver a bj to make up the difference?

 

[Norbiton]

. They are the underdogs with the whole country behind them and a decent outfit on their day. I will be there.

Maybe not the whole country. Brighton fans plus fans of other clubs hoping to get into the Europa won’t want Palace taking one of the slots.

 

[paulchapo]

I was very surprised that we didn't fill our quota for the SF.
I thought it was in part a consequence of the current protests by the city fan groups?

Wasn't a good look either way.

I wasn't surprised it didn't sell out at all for a variety of reasons, all explained by many, myself included, in the thread.
The cup finals always sell out. There is a trophy up for grabs and if our core fans don't buy all the tickets ( They will) then the tourists will snap.them up.

I actually thought it was a great look. It was a wake up call to the club that if they treat loyal fans with contempt we won't take it lying down. It also proved we are not so high and mighty yet that we have thousands of tourists desperate to see us play whatever the cost. We don't.

 

[paulchapo]

Maybe not the whole country. Brighton fans plus fans of other clubs hoping to get into the Europa won’t want Palace taking one of the slots.

Okay....the majority.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

I wasn't surprised it didn't sell out at all for a variety of reasons, all explained by many, myself included, in the thread.
The cup finals always sell out. There is a trophy up for grabs and if our core fans don't buy all the tickets ( They will) then the tourists will snap.them up.

I actually thought it was a great look. It was a wake up call to the club that if they treat loyal fans with contempt we won't take it lying down. It also proved we are not so high and mighty yet that we have thousands of tourists desperate to see us play whatever the cost. We don't.

That's a good perspective.

I'm coming from an external optics position hence the divergence.

I've got stick for this low turnout at work (no fans) so I'm surprised with the lack of news or decent journalism regarding the low turn out.
Ignoring the club issues, it's clear that the FA are keeping a lid on their own involvement of not filling the stadium as this is really the consequence of hosting as many games they can in Wembley.

 

[Whether or not]

We have been a fanbase that likes to moan like fuck the 40 years I have supprted us, the kippax had plenty of misserable fuckers on it as did the pubs pre amd post match around Maine Rd.

Social media and platforms.such as this and other means every moaninng **** can be heard further than the corner or a pub, a seat in the ground or sat onn a bus home that is all, but I don't see higher levels of moaning tbf.

As for the cup being a big occasion, it is but it isn't the Spectacle it was 20 plus years ago:
Semi finals a wembley,
The rags fucking it off one season and getting away with it,
Teams playing the reserves,
TV controling Kick off times,
The broadcasters making what once as an all day telly event now no more than any other live game broadcast wise.
And finally the FA allowing it to become just another game in the season not the showpiece finale that wraps up another footballing year.

The FA cup was marginalised and made less important by those controlling the game so don't blame people being apathetic about going to a third one in a row, for some priorities are elsewhere and I repect their choice, I am going along with some I go to the game with some of those are not going, bit all have 30-50 yr of following the club all over the place in that time, fair play to them too if they cannot/will not go because of whatever reason.

Yep, maybe pessimism and cynicism is what sustained us through all the grim years, and maybe it’s not easily shifted. I absolutely have sympathy with anyone struggling financially at the moment, and countless other individually valid reasons for passing up on Wembley trips. But it has just felt a bit as if a section of our support was waiting for a negative trigger, be it kick off time, price, wrong end of the stadium, whatever.
It’s an interesting thought that we probably took not too many less to Istanbul, with all the effort and cost involved in that, than we had at the Forest semi final. Which suggests to me that apathy is the biggest issue. I still view the FA Cup as huge, but I accept I might be in the minority.

 

[bronco]

That's a good perspective.

I'm coming from an external optics position hence the divergence.

I've got stick for this low turnout at work (no fans) so I'm surprised with the lack of news or decent journalism regarding the low turn out.
Ignoring the club issues, it's clear that the FA are keeping a lid on their own involvement of not filling the stadium as this is really the consequence of hosting as many games they can in Wembley.

The so called low turnout was just shy of 30k which I think is pretty good for a fanbase who on average have visited Wembley twice a year in the past 14

 

[117 M34]

It’s quite simple to understand, basic economics.

Regardless, get the coach instead for £20 and stop moaning.

It wasn't £20 for the stoke final in 2011.

 

[paulchapo]

That's a good perspective.

I'm coming from an external optics position hence the divergence.

I've got stick for this low turnout at work (no fans) so I'm surprised with the lack of news or decent journalism regarding the low turn out.
Ignoring the club issues, it's clear that the FA are keeping a lid on their own involvement of not filling the stadium as this is really the consequence of hosting as many games they can in Wembley.

Mate internet trolls and morons at work aren't interested in the truth or perspective they just want to get a rise out of yourself and others. The majority never actually attend a football game themselves.

Decent journalists aside from Martin Samuels and maybe a couple of others ( I've yet to think of any ) don't exist anymore. They're all clickbait paid trolls themselves. A decent journalist would have praised our fanbase for taking between 28,000 fans, possibly more, for a game 200 miles away. Instead they comment on a few unsold tickets. They're the shit under my shoe.

 

[Vic]

...
This thread is the embodiment of the way a grouchy old fucker thinks the world owes him a living. The match has to KO at 3pm so he can get his train and be home for 9pm. ...

Don't be daft. It's so you can guarantee getting the crowded last train home after queueing goodness knows how long for the tube back to Euston.

 

[Prophet of Doom]

Yep, maybe pessimism and cynicism is what sustained us through all the grim years, and maybe it’s not easily shifted. I absolutely have sympathy with anyone struggling financially at the moment, and countless other individually valid reasons for passing up on Wembley trips. But it has just felt a bit as if a section of our support was waiting for a negative trigger, be it kick off time, price, wrong end of the stadium, whatever.
It’s an interesting thought that we probably took not too many less to Istanbul, with all the effort and cost involved in that, than we had at the Forest semi final. Which suggests to me that apathy is the biggest issue. I still view the FA Cup as huge, but I accept I might be in the minority.

How can you possibly compare Istanbul to the Forest semi final ?

 

[Blue Maverick]

In my experience if you are on a train rammed with football fans the guard hides in his office and never comes around checking tickets. Euston does have those automatic gates you have to put a ticket in to open but I reckon they may be open anyway faced with thousands of football fans trying to get through them. The same with all the ticket inspectors I reckon they won't fancy asking thousands of pissed up football fans for their tickets.

This happened after that Carabou cup final that went to penalties, everyone just piled on no tickets checked it was standing room only, fucking awful journey back and never got to see us lift the trophy either, I’m booked on the 2011 train back and have a seat reserved no fucker better be sat in it or they are getting turfed out, my back is fucked o can’t stand up for 2 1/2 hours, if the match isn’t done by 7 I’m going.

 

[Marvin.]

I wasn't surprised it didn't sell out at all for a variety of reasons, all explained by many, myself included, in the thread.
The cup finals always sell out. There is a trophy up for grabs and if our core fans don't buy all the tickets ( They will) then the tourists will snap.them up.

I actually thought it was a great look. It was a wake up call to the club that if they treat loyal fans with contempt we won't take it lying down. It also proved we are not so high and mighty yet that we have thousands of tourists desperate to see us play whatever the cost. We don't.

I think we'll sell this out comfortably too. I was at the Cup semi-final and although we were significantly outnumbered we had very good vocal support at Wembley. They weren't tourists. The City end was noisy throughout. It helped a lot scoring the early goal.

Our turnout at Wembley was lower than many expected but those who went enjoyed it a lot and the support was excellent. It's worth noting that although we didn't sell out we do have a very significant match-going support that don't have seasoncards. This is new for City, or has slowly developed over the last decade.

 

[paulchapo]

This happened after that Carabou cup final that went to penalties, everyone just piled on no tickets checked it was standing room only, fucking awful journey back and never got to see us lift the trophy either, I’m booked on the 2011 train back and have a seat reserved no fucker better be sat in it or they are getting turfed out, my back is fucked o can’t stand up for 2 1/2 hours, if the match isn’t done by 7 I’m going.

I guarantee some fucker will be sat in it but hopefully they move. If not kick off with the guard they'll often put you in first class as a compromise.
I've booked a hotel, fuck all that stress.

 

[Blue Maverick]

I guarantee some fucker will be sat in it but hopefully they move. If not kick off with the guard they'll often put you in first class as a compromise.
I've booked a hotel, fuck all that stress.

I was originally going to stay over but the other lad can’t go now so I can’t really stretch tothe cost of the hotel on my own with going to the club World Cup in 6 weeks I need every penny, good job we didn’t get to the CL final this year I’d be skint.

 

[urban genie]

This happened after that Carabou cup final that went to penalties, everyone just piled on no tickets checked it was standing room only, fucking awful journey back and never got to see us lift the trophy either, I’m booked on the 2011 train back and have a seat reserved no fucker better be sat in it or they are getting turfed out, my back is fucked o can’t stand up for 2 1/2 hours, if the match isn’t done by 7 I’m going.

They will cancel all seat reservations as they always do.

i remember a final, we had reserved seats (and got in them) but there were some who got to theirs and other blues wouldn't budge, then they cancelled the reservations, it was moody as fuck all the way back.

Since then we have drove either in and out parking in chorleywood or as this time staying over, the trains being so limited are not worth the fucking hassle

 

[Gingers Dad]

This happened after that Carabou cup final that went to penalties, everyone just piled on no tickets checked it was standing room only, fucking awful journey back and never got to see us lift the trophy either, I’m booked on the 2011 train back and have a seat reserved no fucker better be sat in it or they are getting turfed out, my back is fucked o can’t stand up for 2 1/2 hours, if the match isn’t done by 7 I’m going.

Just sit in First. Done it many times coming back from a London away.

 

[paulchapo]

I think we'll sell this out comfortably too. I was at the Cup semi-final and although we were significantly outnumbered we had very good vocal support at Wembley. They weren't tourists. The City end was noisy throughout. It helped a lot scoring the early goal.

Our turnout at Wembley was lower than many expected but those who went enjoyed it a lot and the support was excellent. It's worth noting that although we didn't sell out we do have a very significant match-going support that don't have seasoncards. This is new for City, or has slowly developed over the last decade.

I can't remember one fa cup final that didn't sell out. The league cup finals struggle a bit but we're given more tickets. The one against Villa I could buy an extra one for a mate who lives in London.

I'm not sure it's new we've stopped selling them and have always had a huge floating fan base who pick and choose games for various reasons. The play off final against Gillingham was a perfect example. Our core support was around 28,000 that season and selling out for the big games. For Gillingham we sold 46,000 and could have sold double that. Every man and his dog wanted to go.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

I have to agree with you here. It does seem that we have become a fan base who want to constantly moan about everything. I fully support the protests at the Etihad, and stayed on the concourse, but all this anger about the cup final seems a bit contrived. The FA Cup final is a big national occasion, you can’t expect the whole thing to organised around our preferences, it just isn’t realistic.
I am pretty sure that in 2011, having not had a cup final for 30 years, we would have sold out without complaint if it had kicked off at midnight.

It's not about wanting it organised around our preferences. It's about setting a time when the game is scheduled at the start of the season, not 2 weeks before kick-off. It's about having some respect for the fans who fill the stadium, rather than for ITV's viewing figures and advertising revenues.

Imagine making wedding arrangements and the vicar won't give you a time, or trying to book a flight and the airline saying "We'll let you know the time just before take-off, when the pilot decides what he's doing".

 

[Gingers Dad]

I think we'll sell this out comfortably too. I was at the Cup semi-final and although we were significantly outnumbered we had very good vocal support at Wembley. They weren't tourists. The City end was noisy throughout. It helped a lot scoring the early goal.

Our turnout at Wembley was lower than many expected but those who went enjoyed it a lot and the support was excellent. It's worth noting that although we didn't sell out we do have a very significant match-going support that don't have seasoncards. This is new for City, or has slowly developed over the last decade.

Best semi-final atmosphere since 2011. Maybe better because there was less tension.