Seat Counters 25/26

Norbert D said:
Having semis at Wembley is shit and devalues an already devalued competition.
I know a Leeds ST holder who has given his ticket away for their semi, he doesn’t see the point of travelling all that way and best case scenario is do it all again a few weeks later.

My first visit was the 81 Replay and even though we lost it was one of the best days ever, the trip, the atmosphere, everything. My last few trips to Wembley have been meh.
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Out of interest, where do you suggest the FA Cup semi finals take place?

Consider the facts before answering.

Wembley is the national stadium, neutral and the biggest capacity.

Club grounds are unsuitable in todays climate where fans are kept separate. No large banks of terracing or stadiums that can be easily segregated.

Splitting a club ground in half wouldn't work and thousands of seats would be lost with segregation.

I would suspect Leeds fans aren't complaining about Wembley, and Chelsea and Soton certainly won't be.

The PL is currently made up of 7 London clubs, throw in Soton, Brighton, Bournemouth, that's 50% with Wembley on the doorstep. Considering the Semi's are generally made up of PL Clubs then most won't see it as a problem. (edit, i note and cheers for the nod, Soton are not PL but could well be, hopefully ay Spuds expense).

The only viable options would be 2 legs, which is shit imo. Or, first team drawn at home, which again would be pretty shit.

For all the moaning about Wembley I'm yet to hear of a viable alternative.
 
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ysmsa said:
Out of interest, where do you suggest the FA Cup semi finals take place?

Consider the facts before answering.

Wembley is the national stadium, neutral and the biggest capacity.

Club grounds are unsuitable in todays climate where fans are kept separate. No large banks of terracing or stadiums that can be easily segregated.

Splitting a club ground in half wouldn't work and thousands of seats would be lost with segregation.

I would suspect Leeds fans aren't complaining about Wembley, and Chelsea and Soton certainly won't be.

The PL is currently made up of 7 London clubs, throw in Soton, Brighton, Bournemouth, that's 50% with Wembley on the doorstep. Considering the Semi's are generally made up of PL Clubs then most won't see it as a problem.

The only viable options would be 2 legs, which is shit imo. Or, first team drawn at home, which again would be pretty shit.

For all the moaning about Wembley I'm yet to hear of a viable alternative.
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Play it neutral grounds! City v Southampton at Villa Park and Chelsea v Leeds at Old Trafford. We played Liverpool in Leicester and Chelsea at Villa Park in the charity shields and there were no issues with segregation

What’s so hard about it?
 
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ysmsa said:
Out of interest, where do you suggest the FA Cup semi finals take place?

Consider the facts before answering.

Wembley is the national stadium, neutral and the biggest capacity.

Club grounds are unsuitable in todays climate where fans are kept separate. No large banks of terracing or stadiums that can be easily segregated.

Splitting a club ground in half wouldn't work and thousands of seats would be lost with segregation.

I would suspect Leeds fans aren't complaining about Wembley, and Chelsea and Soton certainly won't be.

The PL is currently made up of 7 London clubs, throw in Soton, Brighton, Bournemouth, that's 50% with Wembley on the doorstep. Considering the Semi's are generally made up of PL Clubs then most won't see it as a problem.

The only viable options would be 2 legs, which is shit imo. Or, first team drawn at home, which again would be pretty shit.

For all the moaning about Wembley I'm yet to hear of a viable alternative.
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Depends what you mean be viable.

I don't think the clubs are too bothered as income is maximised.

Loads of grounds could be used, the City semi could have been at Coventry and the Leeds one at Leicester.

Bournemouth is about 2 hours drive from Wembley and Soton are Championship.

I know the Semis were played at the Oval originally along with the final, but it was mainly SE clubs then, when the football league started it was Lancashire and Staffordshire centric.

The main problem is tickets are sold years in advance for tier 2 with a promise of these games, and Wembley owes the FA almost half a £b.
 
Corky said:
Depends what you mean be viable.

I don't think the clubs are too bothered as income is maximised.

Loads of grounds could be used, the City semi could have been at Coventry and the Leeds one at Leicester.

Bournemouth is about 2 hours drive from Wembley and Soton are Championship.

I know the Semis were played at the Oval originally along with the final, but it was mainly SE clubs then, when the football league started it was Lancashire and Staffordshire centric.

The main problem is tickets are sold years in advance for tier 2 with a promise of these games, and Wembley owes the FA almost half a £b.
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Yeah, getting carried away with Saints but they could well be PL next year.

Those grounds you mention simply aren't big enough. What is worse, a semi selling out straight away and lots dissapointed or, the opportunity for lots more to go?

I just don't see it at Club grounds anymore, that would certainly devalue the Cup even more.

Imagine it "The Ricoh, the Ricoh, we're the famous Man City and we're going the Ricoh"
( is it still called that).

The only answer is a " Wembley" in the North but that isn't happening.

End of the day, it's 180 miles, people go on as if it's the other side of the world.

You either go or you don't
 
ysmsa said:
Yeah, getting carried away with Saints but they could well be PL next year.

Those grounds you mention simply aren't big enough. What is worse, a semi selling out straight away and lots dissapointed or, the opportunity for lots more to go?

I just don't see it at Club grounds anymore, that would certainly devalue the Cup even more.

Imagine it "The Ricoh, the Ricoh, we're the famous Man City and we're going the Ricoh"
( is it still called that).

The only answer is a " Wembley" in the North but that isn't happening.

End of the day, it's 180 miles, people go on as if it's the other side of the world.

You either go or you don't
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Selling out increases demand and anticipation of a bigger allocation for the final.

The highest demand game this season was probably the Bodo one. 15k each and high dmand for tickets does add some prestige.

The worst thing about winning the FA Cup isn't going Wembley twice, it is going 3 times.
 
ysmsa said:
Out of interest, where do you suggest the FA Cup semi finals take place?

Consider the facts before answering.

Wembley is the national stadium, neutral and the biggest capacity.

Club grounds are unsuitable in todays climate where fans are kept separate. No large banks of terracing or stadiums that can be easily segregated.

Splitting a club ground in half wouldn't work and thousands of seats would be lost with segregation.

I would suspect Leeds fans aren't complaining about Wembley, and Chelsea and Soton certainly won't be.

The PL is currently made up of 7 London clubs, throw in Soton, Brighton, Bournemouth, that's 50% with Wembley on the doorstep. Considering the Semi's are generally made up of PL Clubs then most won't see it as a problem.

The only viable options would be 2 legs, which is shit imo. Or, first team drawn at home, which again would be pretty shit.

For all the moaning about Wembley I'm yet to hear of a viable alternative.
Click to expand...
Millennium Stadium Wales
 
Norbert D said:
Having semis at Wembley is shit and devalues an already devalued competition.
I know a Leeds ST holder who has given his ticket away for their semi, he doesn’t see the point of travelling all that way and best case scenario is do it all again a few weeks later.

My first visit was the 81 Replay and even though we lost it was one of the best days ever, the trip, the atmosphere, everything. My last few trips to Wembley have been meh.
Click to expand...
Fighting with the spurs ***** in our end ? :)
 
ysmsa said:
Out of interest, where do you suggest the FA Cup semi finals take place?

Consider the facts before answering.

Wembley is the national stadium, neutral and the biggest capacity.

Club grounds are unsuitable in todays climate where fans are kept separate. No large banks of terracing or stadiums that can be easily segregated.

Splitting a club ground in half wouldn't work and thousands of seats would be lost with segregation.

I would suspect Leeds fans aren't complaining about Wembley, and Chelsea and Soton certainly won't be.

The PL is currently made up of 7 London clubs, throw in Soton, Brighton, Bournemouth, that's 50% with Wembley on the doorstep. Considering the Semi's are generally made up of PL Clubs then most won't see it as a problem.

The only viable options would be 2 legs, which is shit imo. Or, first team drawn at home, which again would be pretty shit.

For all the moaning about Wembley I'm yet to hear of a viable alternative.
Click to expand...
segregation at matches is 2 lines of seats at most or sometimes just an aisle so a mute arguement.

also if you give an end and a side to each team neither set of fans would be in the same stand.

Take it away from wembley and you will bring back more match goers who go to home and many aways back to going to the semis I don't know any SC holder going out of choice/financial costs even, all would be going if it was at villa park, everton or anfield.

Capacity? well seing many cannot be arsed attending the rounds then I expect those who do bother will more than fill a lower capacity and they are the most deserving having put in the effort, alomg with that with villa as the lowest (but most convenient) there is enough high capacity grounds to suit south v south, north v north and south v north semi finals.

Bar Villa every stadium below could accomodate 23000 fans for each team minimum

North:

Stadium of Light49,000

St James' Park52,305

Etihad Stadium53,400

Hill Dickinson Stadium52,888

Anfield61,276

Old Trafford74,197


Midlands:


Villa Park42,657


South:

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium62,850


Emirates Stadium60,704

London Stadium62,500
 
kippax_blueboy said:
Until Wembley is paid for the semi finals will be held there.
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Wembley confirmed the stadium had been paid for over the last few years so your post is factually incorrect. Payment was completed in 2024.
So they clearly wont be changing anything moving forward.
Reading this thread is embarrassing. Despite the protestations of my 13yr old lad I will be missing next Saturday so call away.
Not through cost-I am financially comfortable in my 50's .
Not through work-It is my rest days.
For me it is simply one reason. Apathy towards going to London for yet another semi final. I have missed I think 3 or 4 in total of all of our wembley outings since it began and being truly honest I simply cannot be fussed. Had it been a 4pm kick off I would have been much more amenable but not wanting to drive (as I have in the past on the odd occasion) I have just decided to miss this one as the trains albeit pretty good 95 percent of the time, avanti have loads of form for cancellations.
Huge hats off to everyone going but anyone who is in similar mindset to me or not going due to financial costs etc then they should also be respected. Its a game of football. Personally dont care if there are only 5k blues there. People only care because of the media earache and trolls giving us grief about empties.
Laugh at them, feel their pain and jealousy.
99% of those dicks will NEVER even go to wembley, let alone have 20 to 30 times to decide if they choose to go or not.
See you later at the game.
 
urban genie said:
segregation at matches is 2 lines of seats at most or sometimes just an aisle so a mute arguement.

also if you give an end and a side to each team neither set of fans would be in the same stand.

Take it away from wembley and you will bring back more match goers who go to home and many aways back to going to the semis I don't know any SC holder going out of choice/financial costs even, all would be going if it was at villa park, everton or anfield.

Capacity? well seing many cannot be arsed attending the rounds then I expect those who do bother will more than fill a lower capacity and they are the most deserving having put in the effort, alomg with that with villa as the lowest (but most convenient) there is enough high capacity grounds to suit south v south, north v north and south v north semi finals.

Bar Villa every stadium below could accomodate 23000 fans for each team minimum

North:

Stadium of Light49,000

St James' Park52,305

Etihad Stadium53,400

Hill Dickinson Stadium52,888

Anfield61,276

Old Trafford74,197


Midlands:


Villa Park42,657


South:

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium62,850


Emirates Stadium60,704

London Stadium62,500
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Holding 23000 ok but Southampton, Leeds and probably Chelsea will sell 33500 which grounds can accommodate that, or should over 10 thousand be denied the opportunity to attend just because we can’t manage to sell that many?.
 
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GXCity said:
Play it neutral grounds! City v Southampton at Villa Park and Chelsea v Leeds at Old Trafford. We played Liverpool in Leicester and Chelsea at Villa Park in the charity shields and there were no issues with segregation

What’s so hard about it?
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Segregation really isn't an issue where there's a will there's a way.

Capacity is where the issue lies with northern (especially us with our regular 2/3/4 trips a season) clubs. Move the game further north and our attendance figures will increase meaning all the grounds aren't big enough.

If this game was say at Villa we'd shift the 'Wembley ticket allocation' meaning Villa would either need to be 70k+ or people miss out.

The answer is to have never started all this Wembley semi shite, the FA took a gamble on a Sheffield derby and quietly continued afterwards.
 
i kne albert davy said:
Holding 23000 ok but Southampton, Leeds and probably Chelsea will sell 33500 which grounds can accommodate that, or should over 10 thousand be denied the opportunity to attend just because we can’t manage that to sell that many?.
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I have been denied though this game as have many others because it is at wembley and I cannot afford it again so close to the league cup final (I also sacrificed going to chelsea) london be it on a day trip or staying over is not something I can just do 2-3 times between pay packets, I expect other are the same.

Some someone who never attend games or any of the early rounds and this is there "big day out" should be accomodated first?

the semi final if at a smaller ground should be treated like any other away ticlet wise, except loyalty points should not be a factor

all cup schemers first dibs all at once
then all season card holders all at once
then memebers
 
I do think the semi should be at a club ground. However, I fuckin LOVE going to Wembley. Love everything about the day: Getting up early, the trip down, seeing Blues everywhere taking over service stations, the laugh on the minibus, drinking around London and more laughter, the walk down Wembley Way, the stadium which is absolutely hands down the best stadium in the country, the joy of seeing my team walk out and play on the hallowed Wembley turf, the nerves hoping we win, the joy when we do, the curry in London after the match and even the long trip back home. Getting in bed at daft o’clock smiling and knowing you’ve had a proper great day out with your mates watching the best team in the land and all the world. What’s not to like about that? Can’t wait for next Saturday. Up the Blues!
 
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