FA Cup Semi Final draw - Brighton

[Keith Lemon]

as a previous poster alluded to, 4 tickets given to every member of city's staff, hey presto, loads gone, would have been nice to have been passed on to all fans, but nevermind

Maybe your right, but why all of a sudden would loads of those sort of people want to go

 

[Henkeman]

as a previous poster alluded to, 4 tickets given to every member of city's staff, hey presto, loads gone, would have been nice to have been passed on to all fans, but nevermind

What, free tickets to fans after thousands of others have paid for them? What could possibly go wrong there?

 

[Utter bobbins]

not very good is it, more like a following that a modest league two side would take to the checkatrade final. Still loads of cheap seats left so price cannot be used as an excuse.

Went to Carabo cup final cost me 98 on train plus 72 for ticket

Taking my lad to this one 187 on train 130 for tickets live in Newcastle we both have season cards it is just costing to much at moment have had to sack tonight off just cannot afford it season card has gone to family no charge

 

[cptaidan88]

Hopefully the powers that be at our club start to realise that the continual seasoncard price hikes (200% rise in eight years), the almost double in price individual matchday tickets for some games compared to what the away fans are paying for, and the price of Cup games... eventually starts to dent the wallet too much.

If our seasoncards were the same price as they were in 2011 and Spurs CL home tie was priced at £30 for every home fan, we’d sell out this semifinal no problem. Our fan base has largely stayed the same, we have far fewer of these out of town plastics compared to United and Liverpool. Not much (apart from fans being priced out so have had to stop going) has changed in our support since ten years ago when my seasoncard was about £525 and I paid just £10 for a Europa League quarter final home leg. So why does the club think it’s changed? For thousands of us the cost of living has gone up so much since then that we’re actually less well off than we were ten years ago. With our largely working class North West fanbase, there’s always a breaking point and it’s come with this semifinal. But I think the club think we have a fanbase like United and Liverpool to call upon.

The club’s overall earnings from ticketing is so small that there’s no need for them to price things as they do.

And I’m not moaning for myself, I am a single bloke with no kids and can largely afford everything (to a point) and I am going on Saturday. But I really feel for the fans who just can’t keep on affording everything. As much as the powers that be at the club think the club is theirs, it isn’t, this club is ours, the fans. Without us they’d be nothing. These semifinal sales are showing that if we all walked away they wouldn’t just fill our seats with plastic nobodies who’d pay more, they are nothing without us.

The club need to wake up!

Then hopefully the powers that be from the governing bodies start to wake up too!

Having the semifinals at Wembley takes the shine off the final. Having the semifinals kick off at 17:30 in London when last trains back up North are between 21-22:00 is a nightmare if it goes to ET/pens.

Hopefully this is the one that makes them realise things need to change. In a way I hope there are shit loads of empty seats in our end on Saturday. I hope we can start getting more sets of fans to boycott the semis at Wembley for the future!

I disagree (to varying extents) with almost all of that.

Lets be clear, Saturday is not a boycott - people just cant be arsed. I have no issue with people who have taken that decision though, they are entitled to do so.

 

[Shrimp]

Hopefully the powers that be at our club start to realise that the continual seasoncard price hikes (200% rise in eight years), the almost double in price individual matchday tickets for some games compared to what the away fans are paying for, and the price of Cup games... eventually starts to dent the wallet too much.

If our seasoncards were the same price as they were in 2011 and Spurs CL home tie was priced at £30 for every home fan, we’d sell out this semifinal no problem. Our fan base has largely stayed the same, we have far fewer of these out of town plastics compared to United and Liverpool. Not much (apart from fans being priced out so have had to stop going) has changed in our support since ten years ago when my seasoncard was about £525 and I paid just £10 for a Europa League quarter final home leg. So why does the club think it’s changed? For thousands of us the cost of living has gone up so much since then that we’re actually less well off than we were ten years ago. With our largely working class North West fanbase, there’s always a breaking point and it’s come with this semifinal. But I think the club think we have a fanbase like United and Liverpool to call upon.

The club’s overall earnings from ticketing is so small that there’s no need for them to price things as they do.

And I’m not moaning for myself, I am a single bloke with no kids and can largely afford everything (to a point) and I am going on Saturday. But I really feel for the fans who just can’t keep on affording everything. As much as the powers that be at the club think the club is theirs, it isn’t, this club is ours, the fans. Without us they’d be nothing. These semifinal sales are showing that if we all walked away they wouldn’t just fill our seats with plastic nobodies who’d pay more, they are nothing without us.

The club need to wake up!

Then hopefully the powers that be from the governing bodies start to wake up too!

Having the semifinals at Wembley takes the shine off the final. Having the semifinals kick off at 17:30 in London when last trains back up North are between 21-22:00 is a nightmare if it goes to ET/pens.

Hopefully this is the one that makes them realise things need to change. In a way I hope there are shit loads of empty seats in our end on Saturday. I hope we can start getting more sets of fans to boycott the semis at Wembley for the future!

When the construction of the "New Wembley" went massively over budget, I seem to recall being informed that all semi-finals would have to be played there for the foreseeable future to recover costs. Now that seems to be conveniently forgotten and people just meekly accept the situation as the norm. There was even serious discussion with a view to selling the place recently.
I thought the Liverpool v Everton Semi a few seasons back was the perfect opportunity for 2 sets of supporters to boycott tickets completely and insist that the match was staged at a neutral venue in the north.
It could easily work with a combination of the right 2 clubs and some sensibly orchestrated protest to promote a unity of purpose. At the end of the day forcing anyone north of Watford to go schlepping down to the most expensive part of the country (at a time to suit a TV audience) continues to suck and rankle, and won't change unless people get together to force the issue.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

I disagree (to varying extents) with almost all of that.

Lets be clear, Saturday is not a boycott - people just cant be arsed. I have no issue with people who have taken that decision though, they are entitled to do so.

Of the 16 lads on my minibus for the EFL Cup final, 3 of us are going on Saturday. The others can’t justify paying for Wembley in March April and May if [IF] we get there as well as their seasoncard money coming out, Spurs CL and a couple went Fulham and a number will be going to Old Trafford. Oh plus possible [POSSIBLE] CL semifinal tickets.

It’s not exactly a boycott from our lads but it’s not that they can’t be arsed.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

When the construction of the "New Wembley" went massively over budget, I seem to recall being informed that all semi-finals would have to be played there for the foreseeable future to recover costs. Now that seems to be conveniently forgotten and people just meekly accept the situation as the norm. There was even serious discussion with a view to selling the place recently.
I thought the Liverpool v Everton Semi a few seasons back was the perfect opportunity for 2 sets of supporters to boycott tickets completely and insist that the match was staged at a neutral venue in the north.
It could easily work with a combination of the right 2 clubs and some sensibly orchestrated protest to promote a unity of purpose. At the end of the day forcing anyone north of Watford to go schlepping down to the most expensive part of the country (at a time to suit a TV audience) continues to suck and rankle, and won't change unless people get together to force the issue.

Indeed!

 

[City_Sean]

I disagree (to varying extents) with almost all of that.

Lets be clear, Saturday is not a boycott - people just cant be arsed. I have no issue with people who have taken that decision though, they are entitled to do so.

This can't be arsed stuff is bollocks. It's an expensive trip that not everybody is in a position to afford.

 

[philiph20]

if people don't attend it has bugger all to do with anybody else, some people can't be arsed, some can't afford it, some people have other things on, what the hell has other people's choices of what they do on Saturday afternoon got to do with anybody else?.

 

[city2]

It’s not a good reflection on the club or players, we are playing the best football the premier league has seen, still chasing the major trophies and us as fans can’t be arsed no wonder we get so much stick, and get the piss taken out of us when the cameras show empty seats.

 

[chesterbells]

Maybe your right, but why all of a sudden would loads of those sort of people want to go

Cos their tickets are free(?)

 

[decmancity]

It’s not a good reflection on the club or players, we are playing the best football the premier league has seen, still chasing the major trophies and us as fans can’t be arsed no wonder we get so much stick, and get the piss taken out of us when the cameras show empty seats.

No its not a good reflection on the club if they can't see the amount of stress and pressure people are put under to follow City all over the country to games. The club can comfortably afford to help people out, they haven't. End of.

 

[Mike N]

It’s not a good reflection on the club or players, we are playing the best football the premier league has seen, still chasing the major trophies and us as fans can’t be arsed no wonder we get so much stick, and get the piss taken out of us when the cameras show empty seats.

Good God.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

I binned aways a few years ago, now I'm semi-retired I have moved upto 315 from 117 from plat to gold but in both domestic cup schemes (think the LC one will go next season with my points I'll always be fine for a ticket, don't do CL games home or away anymore and for the LC final & this semi am in the cheapest seats driving down Saturday morning, staying at my lad's near Oxford & he's driving into the game rather than on the piss all day on the coach (taking some cans down for afterwards back at his pad).....money while not tight isn't as freely available to spend on football anymore.

I've cut my cloth accordingly and would only have not gone to the semi had we been playing Millwall as I can't be arsed with all the shit & hassle that would have entailed.

 

[kippaxkid74]

Lets be clear, Saturday is not a boycott - people just cant be arsed. I have no issue with people who have taken that decision though, they are entitled to do so.

I know that's not at me, but i am sick of the broad generalisation on here that people "can't be arsed". Many are so skint they have finally had to miss a Wembley. So yeah, i take it personally and will feel guilty as hell. My post last week explained my reasons, as i felt i need to give a note to teacher (which in this case "teacher" seems to be our seat counting other fans..)

My reasons were this - was this ok?!

My 76 year old mum has made me pay for her season ticket and cup matches the last 5 years, claiming she can't afford it etc, so i pay it, but i'm going under...
So this will be the first wembley match since the 86 full members cup we've not been to, all the semis / shields / league cup finals / fa cup finals / play off final - we did them all, every one of them :( (and i'm not including the spurs prem games there).
Always went to the semis and shield saying what others are saying here - ie that it's city at wembley and we'dve killed for that years ago. But i haven't got the money, will need it for the final if we get there, but i'm not sure how i'm going to pay for that either this time. And as for the season ticket renewal :( My partners debts mean we may be forced bankrupt later this year. In other words, i'm not going but it's due to money, and i feel guilty as hell and i shouldn't feel that way!!! :(
If you have the money and stuff then GO, it's worth it. I just can't this year and feel pig sick :(

Though actually it's a good job i didn't book, as my 2 year old had been quite ill and though he's getting better he gave it me for mother's day, and i'm full of fever, tonsilitis, and also for good measure severe conjunctivitis so can't see great. Had to sell tonight's game on ticket exchange (and it has sold, so no emoty seats!), i hate missing any match.

So althought maybe many are "wembleyd out", there are also many who are feeling such a strain that the match ticket, train or coach, and probable overnight stay (would've been for us as my mum isn't in great health and can't do the long day trip to london anymore) is just too expensive :(

 

[Keith Lemon]

Cos their tickets are free(?)

Maybe a few but no thousands

 

[scousemanc]

With a 17.30 kick off there is no train I can catch back from any Wembley station that gets me back to Lime Street, so I am not going. I know of one other season ticket holder who lives on merseyside who is in exactly the same position. So that's 2 tickets that would have been sold if the kick off was earlier.
Now, you can call us bad fans if you like, but the simple fact is, our non attendance is entirely down to the kick off time.
I emailed the club to point this out to them and this is their reply:

"Thank you for your feedback and we are sorry to hear that you are unable to attend the game due to the kick off time.
This is not something that is arranged by the club, but the FA. Please be assured that your comments will be circulated back to the relevant contact for consideration ahead of future fixtures."

So whatever fans feel about other fans not attending, the simple fact is that a kick off time of 17.30 has consequences. In this case, 2 tickets not being sold.

 

[journolud]

If you were a player walking out on Saturday and you looked at both ends of the ground. How do you think you would feel??

Just a question and not having a go at either “going” or “not going”

I think I would be feeling a sense of anticipation about being one step away from the final of another competition and would be focussed on the game. Don't think I would be wondering where @Didsbury Dave was.

 

[cptaidan88]

Of the 16 lads on my minibus for the EFL Cup final, 3 of us are going on Saturday. The others can’t justify paying for Wembley in March April and May if [IF] we get there as well as their seasoncard money coming out, Spurs CL and a couple went Fulham and a number will be going to Old Trafford. Oh plus possible [POSSIBLE] CL semifinal tickets.

It’s not exactly a boycott from our lads but it’s not that they can’t be arsed.

Sort of proving my point. With limited funds available, the people in your group of friends have chosen to give this one a swerve, in order to prioritise other games. The Final is far from guaranteed and would be more expensive, but they've chosen to save money for a hypothetical scenario because its a more glamorous game.

I've not criticised anyones choices, I completely understand them - I just took exception to you referring to it as a boycott. Apathy is a more accurate description for the vast majority of non-attendees.

@kippaxkid74 Completely agree, and you don't have to and shouldn't feel as though you need to justify yourself to me or anyone else. Hope you're feeling better soon.

 

[M18CTID]

Of the 16 lads on my minibus for the EFL Cup final, 3 of us are going on Saturday. The others can’t justify paying for Wembley in March April and May if [IF] we get there as well as their seasoncard money coming out, Spurs CL and a couple went Fulham and a number will be going to Old Trafford. Oh plus possible [POSSIBLE] CL semifinal tickets.

It’s not exactly a boycott from our lads but it’s not that they can’t be arsed.

Exactly. No doubt there will be some fans somewhere who "can't be arsed" but for me the vast majority of those giving this a miss are doing it primarily from a financial perspective as they're having to juggle which games to attend due to the possibility of an FA Cup and CL Semi and Final to come. That coming on top of a Wembley visit just a few weeks ago where we sold 35,000 tickets. I'm having to do some juggling of my own and I've sacked off Spurs away in the CL next week (the difference is, the Spurs away tickets sold out easily so no-one will notice that I've given that one a miss) to go to this game instead. Others have done the opposite so even some of the regular away game followers are having to pick and choose. I do 50%-60% of away games each season these days and I would've also liked to have gone to Fulham on Saturday but the longer we've stayed in the FA Cup and CL made that one impossible.

Now if we were only still in the FA Cup, had been knocked out of the League Cup early on (meaning 35000 of our fans hadn't already had to fork out for a trip to Wembley for a LC Final a few weeks previous), been knocked out of the CL before the quarter-final, and were out of the title race, then I've absolutely no doubt that we would comfortably have sold out for Saturday. Because that's the situation we were in in 2017 when we played Arsenal - we'd been knocked out of the LC in October by United, knocked out of the Round of 16 in the CL by Monaco, and had no chance of winning the league either, so apart from a possible FA Cup final there was nothing else anyone had to think about budgeting for apart from the remaining league games which the vast majority would have already paid for by virtue of having a season ticket.